BV  638  .G52  1913 
Gill,  Charles  Otis 
The  country  church 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •  BOSTON   •   CHICAGO   •   DALLAS 
ATLANTA   •    SAN  FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON   •   BOMBAY   •  CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


OCT  U 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


THE  DECLINE  OF  ITS  INFLUENCE  AND 
THE  REMEDY 


BY         :/'^ 
CHARLES  OTIS  GILL 

AND 
GIFFORD  PINCHOT 


PUBLISHED    UNDER   THE   AUTHORITY  OF    THE 

FEDERAL  COUNCIL  OF  THE  CHURCHES 

OF  CHRIST  IN  AMERICA 


N?m  fork 
THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

1913 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1913, 

By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

Set  up  and  electrotjrped.    Published  June,  1913. 


ACKNO  WLED  GMENTS 

Several  hundred  individuals  have  given  valuable 
assistance  in  this  investigation.  Many  men  and  women 
have  spent  hours  at  the  tiresome  task  of  going  over 
long  lists  of  names  in  the  work  on  church  attendance. 
In  addition  to  these,  church  clerks,  treasurers,  and  pas- 
tors have  done  much  in  looking  up  and  correcting 
statistical  data.  So  large  is  the  number  that  all  who 
have  helped  cannot  be  mentioned  by  name,  and  it  is 
hoped  that  they  will  accept  this  as  an  expression  of 
the  authors'  appreciation  and  gratitude. 

To  the  late  Prof.  D.  Collins  Wells,  of  Dartmouth 
College,  the  authors  are  particularly  indebted  for  his 
assistance  in  determining  the  changes  in  the  cost  of 
living  in  the  different  towns  and  for  many  valuable 
suggestions. 


INTRODUCTION 

The  investigation  whose  results  are  here  set  forth 
had  its  origin  in  the  work  of  the  Commission  on  Country 
Life.  The  study  of  rural  conditions  conducted  by  the 
commission  emphasized  the  importance  of  the  country 
church  as  nothing  else  has  done,  and  led  at  once  to  the 
inquiry  whether  in  size  and  power  it  is  growing  or  de- 
clining, and  whether  it  is  doing  effectually  the  work 
which  belongs  to  it.  That  inquiry  could  not  be  answered 
merely  by  collecting  opinions.  Many  men  whose  con- 
clusions were  entitled  to  respect  were  found  to  believe 
that  the  country  church  was  losing  its  hold  upon  the 
people  and  failing  to  fill  the  place  it  ought  to  occupy. 
Others  whose  judgment  was  equally  entitled  to  consider- 
ation maintained  that  far  from  failing  to  perform  its 
mission,  the  country  church  was  as  prosperous  and 
efficient  in  rural  communities  as  the  city  church  in  the 
towns,  and  that  no  extraordinary  or  unusual  need 
could  be  shown  for  its  improvement. 

There  is  no  single  factor  in  the  advancement  of  right- 
eousness and  civilization  which  can  be  more  influential 
and  effective  than  the  country  church.    Therefore  the 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

sharp  divergence  of  opinion  as  to  its  working  condi- 
tion, among  men  who  ought  to  know,  called  for  prompt 
and  serious  attention,  and  all  the  more  because  these 
differences  often  concerned  the  same  States,  the  same 
counties,  and  even  the  same  rural  communities.  Since 
authorities  disagreed  it  was  obvious  that  the  first  step 
toward  solving  the  problem  of  the  country  church  must 
be  to  learn  the  facts  about  its  past  and  present  condi- 
tion, its  needs,  and  the  needs  of  the  people  whom  it 
serves. 

Only  a  little  study  of  existing  records  was  required 
to  show  that  these  facts  had  never  been  brought  to- 
gether and  that  an  investigation  was  badly  needed. 
Accordingly,  the  present  study  of  the  country  church 
was  planned  during  a  series  of  conferences  between 
Charles  Otis  Gill  and  the  writer  of  this  preface,  be- 
ginning in  the  summer  of  1909.  It  was  based  on  the 
evident  proposition  that  the  first  step  is  to  establish 
the  facts,  and  that  the  remedy  cannot  be  found  until 
the  true  nature  of  the  difficulty  has  been  disclosed,  and 
it  proceeds  on  the  theory  that  exact  results  are  more  im- 
portant than  generalizations  less  firmly  established. 

In  order  to  be  thorough  the  investigation  was  thus 
undertaken  within  an  area  no  larger  than  two  counties, 
one  in  Vermont,  the  other  in  New  York.    The  facts  it 


INTRODUCTION  ix 

presents  were  ascertained,  and  are  here  given,  in  some 
detail,  and  the  effort  is  made  to  let  them  speak  for 
themselves,  with  as  little  explanation  or  comment  as 
the  nature  of  the  case  will  allow. 

The  shares  taken  by  Mr.  Gill  and  myself  in  the  work 
were  as  follows:  Both  were  concerned  in  the  preparation 
of  the  general  plan.  The  field  work  was  done  entirely 
by  Mr.  Gill  or  under  his  immediate  supervision,  ^nd 
the  method  of  ascertaining  the  facts  needed  to  compare 
past  and  present  church  attendance  and  expenditures 
was  developed  entirely  by  him.  He  also  worked  up 
in  the  office  the  results  of  his  studies  in  the  field.  Dur-* 
ing  the  progress  of  the  work  my  part  was  that  of  ad- 
viser, and  I  am  responsible  for  the  final  revision  of  the 
manuscript  for  the  press. 

Mr.  Gill's  peculiar  fitness  for  the  work  of  this  investi- 
gation arises  in  part  from  his  long  and  intimate  per- 
sonal acquaintance  with  the  problem  of  country  life. 
For  fifteen  years  he  has  been  a  country  minister.  One 
of  his  tasks  was  to  establish  a  church  in  a  country  com- 
munity in  Vermont  which  had  been  without  one  for 
more  than  twenty  years.  When  Mr.  Gill  came  to  it, 
the  moral  and  social  laxity  of  the  whole  community 
was  flagrant.  Disbelief  in  the  existence  of  goodness 
appeared  to  be  common,  pubUc  disapproval  of  inde- 


X  INTRODUCTION 

cency  was  timid  or  lacking,  and  religion  was  in  general 
disrepute.  Not  only  was  there  no  day  of  worship,  but 
also  no  day  of  rest.  Life  was  mean,  hard,  small,  selfish, 
and  covetous.  Land  belonging  to  the  town  was  openly 
pillaged  by  the  pubHc  ofl&cers  who  held  it  in  trust;  real 
estate  values  were  low;  and  among  the  respectable 
families  there  was  a  general  desire  to  sell  their  property 
and  move  away. 

Then  a  church  was  organized.  The  change  which 
followed  was  swift,  striking,  thorough,  and  enduring. 
The  public  property  of  the  town,  once  a  source  of  graft 
and  demoralization,  became  a  public  asset.  The  value 
of  real  estate  increased  beyond  all  proportion  to  the 
general  rise  of  land  values  elsewhere.  In  the  decade 
and  a  half  which  has  elapsed  since  the  church  began  its 
work,  boys  and  girls  of  a  new  type  have  been  brought  up. 
The  reputation  of  the  village  has  been  changed  from  bad 
to  good,  public  order  has  greatly  improved,  and  the 
growth  of  the  place  as  a  summer  resort  has  begun.  It 
is  fair  to  say  that  the  establishment  of  the  church  under 
Mr.  Gill  began  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  the  town. 

It  was  with  such  a  record  of  practical  success  in 
the  country  church  that  Mr.  Gill  undertook  the  study 
whose  results  are  here  set  down. 

GrFFORD   PiNCHOT. 


ERRATA 


Page  78,  Note  6,  read  7850  instead  of  780. 

Page  151,  Line  6,  read  "The  rural  population  in  every 
township  of  the  eight  has  declined  25  per  cent  or 
more  below  its  maximum,"  instead  of  "Every  town- 
ship of  the  eight  has  declined  25  per  cent  below 
its  maximum." 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Acknowledgments v 

Introduction vu 

I.    RESULTS  OF  THE  INVESTIGATION 

1.  The  Need  of  Facts 3 

2.  The  Plan  of  the  Investigation 7 

3.  Summary  of  Results 11 

4.  Church  Attendance 19 

5.  A  Method  for  Studying  Attendance  .        .        .        .23 

6.  Comparison  of  Expenditures 24 

7.  Ministers'  Salaries 28 

8.  Educational  Equipment  of  Ministers        .        .        .31 

9.  A  Successful  Church 33 

10.  Remedies 37 

Improvement  of  Country  Life         .        .        .        .38 

Schools -41 

A  Program  of  Social  Service 42 

An  Effective  Country  Ministry     .        .        .        .46 

Church  Cooperation 50 

Organization  for  Social  Service     .        .        .        .52 

11.  Organization  in  Vermont S3 

11.    WINDSOR  COUNTY 

1.  The  Locality  and  the  People     .        .    ,    .        .        .63 

2.  Membership 72 

3.  Attendance 74 

Records  of  Attendance 84 

The  Gill  Method 98 

The  Method  Tested loi 

4.  Attendance  and  Membership  Compared     .        .        .110 

xi 


xii  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

5.  Income  and  Expenditures 115 

The  Change  in  Prices  and  the  Cost  of  Living      -115 

Total  Expenditures 122 

Benevolences    128 

Ministers'  Salaries 133 

Other  Expenditures 138 

6.  Educational  Equipment  of  Ministers        .        .        .  139 

7.  Activities  of  the  Denominations        ....  140 

8.  Over- Churching .        .        .143 

III.    TOMPKINS  COUNTY 

1.  The  Locality  and  the  People 147 

2.  Membership 152 

3.  Attendance 156 

4.  Membership  and  Attendance  Compared     .        .        .  163 

5.  Income  and  Expenditures 166 

The  Change  in  Prices  and  the  Cost  of  Living       .  166 

Expenditures 170 

Benevolences    175 

Improvements 179 

Ministers'  Salaries 183 

Donations 186 

6.  Educational  Equipment  of  Ministers        .        .        .  189 

7.  Activities  of  the  Denominations        ....  190 

8.  Larger  Villages  Compared  with  Smaller  Villages 

AND  THE  Open  Country 193 

Membership 196 

Attendance 198 

Income  and  Expenditures 200 

Individual  Churches 204 

Rural  Attendants  of  Rural  Churches  and  Rural 

Attendants  of  Larger  Villages  ....  206 
Relative   Importance   of  Rural  Churches   and 

Churches  of  Larger  Villages      ....  209 

9.  Over-Churching 211 

10.  The  Church  on  Good  Land  and  on  Poor  Land  .   .214 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

I 

RESULTS  OF  THE  INVESTIGATION 


THE    COUNTRY    CHURCH 

I.   THE   NEED   OF   FACTS 

The  ability  of  a  nation  to  maintain  the  integrity  and 
vigor  of  its  rural  population  is  the  real  test  of  its  vi- 
taUty.  It  was  to  the  decadence  of  country  life,  not  of 
city  life,  that  the  fall  of  Rome  was  due;  and  it  is  the 
rush  of  the  best  people  of  the  country  to  the  town  that 
to-day  presents  the  fundamental  question  of  rural  life 
as  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  whole  nation. 

The  rapid  growth  of  our  cities  has  brought  us  two 
great  sets  of  problems:  —  the  first  concerned  with  the 
social  and  industrial  conditions  of  city  life;  the  second 
with  the  country,  both  for  its  own  sake  and  as  the 
source  from  which  the  city  draws  not  only  its  supplies 
of  the  raw  materials  of  food,  clothing,  and  shelter,  but 
also  the  vigorous  manhood  and  womanhood  from  which 
its  power  is  chiefly  derived.  The  removal  of  the  best 
young  people  from  the  country  to  the  city  necessarily 
produces  a  decline  in  the  quality  of  the  country  popula- 
tion which  must  be  followed  by  a  decline  in  its  social 

3 


4  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

and  industrial  life.  This  in  its  turn  accentuates  the  rel- 
ative attractiveness  of  the  cities,  and  so  the  evil  grows. 

Among  the  institutions  available  for  the  great  task 
of  restoring  country  Hfe  to  its  proper  and  necessary 
place  in  the  life  of  the  nation,  the  country  church  holds 
or  should  hold  the  commanding  place.  It  should  vi- 
talize all  the  forces  of  education,  experience,  and  social 
and  industrial  organization  for  the  general  good.  It 
has  done  so  in  the  past,  and  it  can  do  so  again.  His- 
torically the  country  church  has  exerted  a  determining 
influence  upon  the  religious,  moral,  and  social  life  of 
rural  communities  in  the  United  States  during  whole 
periods  in  our  national  development.  This  was  no- 
tably true  during  the  century  which  followed  the  land- 
ing of  the  Pilgrims  in  New  England. 

At  times  not  only  the  intellectual  and  moral  leader- 
ship, but  the  agricultural  and  industrial  leadership  as 
well,  have  belonged  to  the  country  church,  and  it  has 
been  the  most  important  agency  in  promoting  civiliza- 
tion in  rural  life.  This  is  no  longer  entirely  true.  From 
being  an  active  uplifting  force  it  has  become  a  conserv- 
ing influence  merely.  What  the  rural  church  is  now 
doing  cannot  be  measured  by  positive  advance,  but 
only  by  the  amount  of  deterioration  which  it  helps  to 
prevent.     This  is  a  condition  that  cannot  lightly  be 


THE  NEED  OF  FACTS  5 

suffered  to  continue.  The  country  church  must  be 
restored  to  its  old-time  vitality  and  influence  as  an  in- 
dispensable condition  of  the  revival  and  continuance 
of  a  wholesome  life  in  the  open  country.  The  penalty 
for  failure  to  do  so  will  be  the  continued  general  de- 
cadence of  rural  life. 

If,  then,  the  country  church  is  an  important  institu- 
tion, whose  prosperity  is  essential  to  the  welfare  of 
country  people  and  yet  is  in  question,  its  situation 
when  this  study  was  begun  called  for  investigation: 

First,  because  knowledge  of  the  facts  must  precede 
knowledge  of  the  best  way  to  meet  them.  No  investi- 
gation of  the  facts  of  rural  life  could  be  complete  with- 
out a  knowledge  of  the  country  church.  Any  survey 
of  rural  life  would  be  fatally  defective  if  it  failed  to 
include  a  study  of  the  country  church,  and  any  study 
of  the  country  church  which  treated  it  merely  as  one 
of  many  things  to  be  investigated  would  not  be  thor- 
ough enough  to  meet  the  actual  needs  of  the  present 
situation. 

Second,  because  available  statistics  as  to  the  condi- 
tion of  the  country  church  were  found  to  be  misleading, 
inconclusive,  or  altogether  lacking.  The  facts  as  to 
membership,  expenditures,  and  income  needed  to  be 
understood   with   a   degree   of   exactness   which  was 


6  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

not  possible  in  the  absence  of  an  investigation  such 
as  is  here  described. 

Third,  because  there  was  no  general  consensus  of 
opinion  as  to  the  actual  condition  of  the  country  church, 
or  as  to  the  causes  which  operate  upon  it. 

An  effort  to  learn  the  condition  of  the  country  church 
from  the  best  known  authorities  established  at  once 
their  failure  to  agree  as  to  the  facts,  while  the  difference 
of  opinion  as  to  remedies  required  was  equally  radical. 
Pastors  of  successful  and  influential  churches  were 
found  to  believe,  as  a  rule,  that  all  was  well.  Some  of 
their  parishioners  agreed  with  them.  Pastors  of  un- 
successful churches  and  members  of  country  churches 
generally  held  the  opposite  view.  Officials  of  home 
missionary  societies  were  usually  confident  of  the 
flourishing  condition  of  the  country  church,  while 
officers  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  were  equally  firm  in  the  con- 
trary opinion.  Some  who  held  that  the  country  church 
was  losing  ground  attributed  its  retreat  to  economic 
conditions,  others  to  racial  decline,  still  others  saw  in 
it  the  result  of  an  inferior  ministry,  while  some  assigned 
as  its  cause  a  general  lapse  in  religious  faith.  The  reme- 
dies proposed  were  equally  various. 

This  disagreement  as  to  the  facts  and  the  needs  has 
made  it  impossible  for  the  church  generally  to  realize 


PLAN  OF  INVESTIGATION  7 

that  the  condition  of  the  country  church  constitutes 
an  emergency,  and  thus  has  altogether  prevented  con- 
certed action  to  meet  the  actual  situation.  No  effect- 
ive united  action  in  favor  of  the  rural  church  can  be 
expected  until  the  essential  facts  as  to  its  condition  and 
its  necessities  have  been  established  beyond  dispute. 


2.   THE  PLAN   OF   THE  INVESTIGATION 

To  ascertain  whether  the  country  church  is  increasing 
or  decreasing  in  effectiveness,  a  basis  of  comparison 
between  its  present  and  its  past  conditions  must  be 
found.  This  basis  should  be  of  such  a  character  as  will 
show  not  only  the  relation  between  the  present  and  past 
of  the  church  itself,  but  also  between  present  and  past 
conditions  in  the  community  of  which  the  church  forms 
a  part.  The  church  does  not  exist  for  itself;  it  is  an 
agency  for  the  service  of  social  needs,  and  must  not 
be  considered  as  though  it  stood  alone.  The  im- 
portant question  is  how  effectively  it  produces  re- 
sults. 

Any  attempt  to  answer  this  question  for  the  whole 
country  church  at  once  would  necessarily  result  in 
mere  generalities.  Hence  it  was  decided  to  limit  the 
inquiry  to  a  single  county  at  a  time,  and  thus  make 


8  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

possible  a  knowledge  of  the  situation  sufficiently  de- 
tailed and  exact  to  supply  a  sound  foundation  upon 
which  conclusions  might  safely  rest. 
The  first  county  chosen  was  Windsor  County,  Ver- 

^  mont.  It  was  selected  because  it  is  typical  of  agri- 
cultural New  England,  and  because  Mr.  Gill  was  al- 
ready well  enough  known  to  its  people  to  make  them 
willing  to  cooperate  with  him  in  the  difficult  early  stages 
of  the  work.  Tompkins  County,  New  York,  was  chosen 
next,  because  its  northern  and  southern  portions  are 

s/  representative  of  large  areas  in  northern  and  southern 
New  York,  and  because  a  careful  agricultural  survey 
of  the  county  by  the  Agricultural  College  of  Cornell 
University  had  just  been  completed. 

The  natural  question  to  ask  first  was:  How  effective 
is  the  church  in  the  lines  of  activity  upon  which  the 
church  itself  places  most  emphasis? 

All  doubt  as  to  what  these  lines  of  activity  are  was 
removed  by  obtaining  from  the  ministers  of  Windsor 
and  Tompkins  counties  answers  to  printed  questions 
and  by  personal  interviews  with  many  laymen.  The 
church  in  these  counties  lays  most  emphasis  upon 
(i)  membership,  (2)  expenditures  and  activities  de- 
pendent upon  them,  (3)  attendance  and  activities  de- 
pendent upon  it.    The  latter  includes  attendance  at 


lo  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

Sunday  Schools,  church  societies,  and  other  gatherings 
as  well  as  at  regular  church  services. 

Available  statistics  for  Sunday  Schools  and  young 
people's  societies  in  the  two  counties  are  so  incomplete, 
and  in  many  localities  so  clearly  misleading,  so  different 
from  the  results  of  observation  and  inquiry,  that  it 
was  decided  to  ehminate  them  entirely  from  the  stated 
conclusions  of  the  investigation.  Nevertheless,  such 
facts  as  could  be  learned  by  personal  interviews  were 
gathered  in  each  county. 

This  volume  presents  the  results  of  a  careful  study 
of  the  facts  as  to  gains  and  losses,  over  a  period  of 
twenty  years,  in  attendance,  expenditures,  and  mem- 
bership, first  in  Windsor  County,  Vermont,  where 
every  Protestant  Church  was  covered,  and  next  in 
Tompkins  County,  New  York,  where  every  Protestant 
Church  outside  of  the  city  and  township  of  Ithaca  was 
included.  Certain  other  facts  necessary  for  an  under- 
standing of  these  results  are  presented  also. 

The  specific  points  upon  which  information  was  gath- 
ered were  as  follows: 

1.  The  changes  in  church  attendance  and  member- 
ship in  twenty  years. 

2.  The  change  in  contributions,  measured  both  in 
dollars  and  in  purchasing  power,  in  twenty  years. 


SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS  II 

3.  The  change  in  ministers'  salaries,  measured  both 
in  dollars  and  purchasing  power,  in  twenty  years. 

4.  The  equipment  of  ministers  for  their  work. 

5.  The  effect  of  too  many  churches  upon  the  general 
activities  and  prosperity  of  the  country  church. 

6.  A  comparison  of  churches  in  the  smaller  com- 
munities with  the  churches  in  the  larger  towns  and 
villages,  and  of  churches  in  regions  of  good  soil  with 
churches  in  regions  of  poor  soil. 

7.  A  special  inquiry  into  the  methods  of  work  of  the 
more  successful  churches. 

8.  Changes  in  the  population  (including  Protestants 
and  non-Protestants),  and  in  the  agricultural  and  in- 
dustrial conditions  of  the  two  counties,  in  twenty  years. 

3.   SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS 

In  the  mvestigation  thus  originated  and  planned,  the 
conclusions  from  the  earlier  study  in  Windsor  County 
are  confirmed  by  those  of  the  later  study  in  Tompkins 
County.  The  results  so  checked  and  supported  are  be- 
Heved  to  be  accurate.  If  true,  they  are  certainly  im- 
portant. They  show  that  in  these  counties  the  country 
church  has  suffered  a  decline  which  proves  beyond 
question  that  it  is  losing  its  hold  on  the  community. 


12  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

The  statistics  which  were  already  available  at  the 
beginning  of  the  investigation  did  not  point  to  this 
conclusion.  Neither  did  certain  preliminary  figures 
secured  in  each  county.  The  actual  facts  were  found 
only  after  special  methods  of  research  had  been  de- 
vised and  applied.  These  methods  are  described  on 
pages  23  and  24. 

In  making  the  comparison  of  conditions  at  the  be- 
ginning of  an  interval  of  twenty  years  and  at  its  end, 
for  Windsor  County  the  years  1888  and  1908  were 
chosen;  for  the  later  study  in  Tompkins  County  the 
years  1890  and  1910.  Tompkins  County  has  nine 
townships.  Except  where  otherwise  stated,  the  figures 
for  that  county  do  not  include  the  city  of  Ithaca  and 
the  township  in  which  it  lies,  but  only  the  eight  rural 
townships  of  the  county. 

To  compare  expenditures  for  any  two  particular 
years  twenty  years  apart  might  well  be  misleading, 
because  of  accidental  variations  in  one  or  both  of  the 
years  selected.  Therefore,  figures  were  gathered  for 
two  five  year  periods  twenty  years  apart  and  the  aver- 
age for  one  period  was  compared  with  the  average  for 
the  other.  For  Windsor  County  these  two  periods  ran 
from  1885  to  1889  inclusive,  and  from  1905  to  1909  in- 
clusive.    For  the  later  study  in  Tompkins  County, 


SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS  13 

the  periods  1886  to  1890  inclusive  and  1906  to  1 910  in- 
clusive were  chosen. 

The  principal  facts  developed  by  the  investigation 
are  briefly  as  follows: 

Church  membership  in  Windsor  County  increased 
in  the  twenty  years  4  per  cent,  and  in  Tompkins  County 
2  per  cent.  These  figures  on  their  face  point  to  hopeful 
conclusion  concerning  the  churches,  which  further  study  ' 
shows  to  be  unwarranted.  One  of  the  important  re- 
sults of  the  investigation  was  to  show  the  wholly  mis- 
leading character  of  statistics  of  membership  as  a  meas- 
ure of  vitality  for  the  churches  in  Windsor  and  Tomp-' 
kins  counties.  The  truth  of  this  statement  appears 
the  moment  we  compare  membership  with  expenditures 
measured  in  purchasing  power  and  with  attendance. 

When  expressed  in  dollars,  the  expenditures  of  the 
churches  in  Windsor  County  increased  23  per  cent, 
and  in  Tompkins  County  7  per  cent  in  the  twenty  years. 
But  when  measured  in  purchasing  power,  or  in  their 
ability  to  produce  results,  church  expenditures  in  Wind- 
sor County  declined  2  per  cent,  and  in  Tompkins 
County  9  per  cent  in  the  twenty  years.  This  decline  is 
still  more  significant  when  it  is  contrasted  with  the 
rapidly  increasing  scale  of  expenditures  in  nearly  all 
departments  of  human  life,  and  with  the  further  fact 


14  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

that  in  the  two  counties  there  is  a  general  feeb'ng  of 
good  will  toward  the  churches,  which  results  in  money 
contributions  for  their  support  by  those  who  are  iden- 
tified with  them  in  no  other  way.  In  Windsor  County, 
also,  important  contributions  are  made  to  the  churches 
by  summer  residents  and  by  non-residents. 

The  churches  of  both  counties  are  giving  less  and  less 
pay  to  their  ministers.  Reckoned  in  dollars,  there  was 
an  increase  of  i6  per  cent  in  Windsor  County,  while 
in  Tompkins  County  the  increase  was  less  than  i 
per  cent.  Reckoned  in  purchasing  power,  less  real 
pay  was  given  in  each  county  during  the  second  period 
than  in  the  first.  The  amount  of  real  pay  declined  7 
per  cent  in  Windsor  and  nearly  16  per  cent  in  Tompkins 
County.  In  Windsor  County  64  per  cent  and  in  Tomp- 
kins County  72  per  cent  of  the  ministers  were  receiving 
less  real  pay  in  the  second  period  than  were  their  pred- 
ecessors in  the  first  period.  In  Windsor  County  34 
out  of  53  ministers,  and  in  Tompkins  County  2 1  out  of 
29  ministers  received  in  purchasing  power  smaller 
salaries  than  those  of  twenty  years  before. 

In  view  of  such  facts  as  these  it  is  but  natural  that  in 
both  counties  the  educational  equipment  of  the  minis- 
try should  be  inadequate  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 
present  day.    In  Windsor  County  75  per  cent  and  in 


SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS  15 

Tompkins  County  85  per  cent  of  the  ministers  have 
never  had  a  full  course  of  seven  years'  preparation  in  col- 
lege and  theological  seminary.  In  both  counties  the 
proportion  of  ministers  who  are  foreign  born  is  so  great 
as  to  raise  the  question  whether  enough  American 
young  men  enter  the  rural  ministry.  In  Windsor 
County  25  per  cent,  and  in  Tompkins  County  33  per 
cent  are  either  foreign  born  or  sons  of  foreign  born,  yet 
in  both  of  these  counties  the  Protestant  population  is  of 
nearly  pure  American  stock. 

But  it  is  neither  membership  nor  expenditures,  but 
attendance,  which  furnishes  the  best  measure  of  the' 
hold  of  the  church  upon  its  people. 
.  It  is  true  that  attendance  at  Sunday  worship  is  not 
the  main  object  of  the  Christian  religion.  Neverthe- 
less, there  is  no  other  index  of  the  place  of  the  church 
in  the  life  of  the  people  so  reliable  as  the  attendance. 
Our  investigation  has  abundantly  confirmed  the  truth 
of  this  statement.  Men  and  women  go  to  church  be- 
cause it  is  their  duty  or  because  they  want  to.  In 
either  case,  it  is  the  hold  of  the  church  and  what  the 
church  stands  for  which  suppHes  the  motive  power. 

Church  attendance  in  Windsor  County  fell  off  in 
twenty  years  nearly  31  per  cent,  and  in  Tompkins 
County  33  per  cent.    Making  allowances  for  the  de- 


i6  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

cline  in  Protestant  population,  the  loss  in  Windsor 
County  was  more  than  29  per  cent,  and  in  Tompkins 
County  more  than  19  per  cent.  Furthermore,  there  is 
evidence  that  church  attendance  in  Windsor  County 
has  been  declining  in  relation  to  membership  for  fifty 
years.  This  is  doubtless  true  in  Tompkins  County 
also,  but  we  lack  sufficient  records  to  prove  it  except 
for  the  last  twenty  years.  In  the  twenty  year  period 
in  Windsor  County,  out  of  49  churches  for  which  the 
facts  were  learned  as  to  both  attendance  and  mem- 
bership, it  was  found  that  in  no  less  than  37  the  at- 
tendance had  decUned  in  proportion  to  membership, 
while  in  Tompkins  County  out  of  a  total  of  36  churches 
all  but  two  were  similarly  affected,  so  that  in  the  two 
counties  together  the  attendance  declined  in  propor- 
tion to  membership  in  71  churches  out  of  85. 

But  the  situation  is  more  serious  than  even  these 
facts  would  lead  us, to  suppose.  The  investigation  shows 
that  the  condition  of  the  churches  in  the  strictly  rural 
districts  is  very  much  worse  than  in  the  large  villages, 
although  there  is  reason  to  fear  that  in  a  decade  or  two 
the  condition  of  the  churches  in  these  larger  communi- 
ties also  will  become  acute. 

In  Tompkins  County  there  is  a  gain  in  the  churches 
of  the  larger  villages  of  9  per  cent  in  membership,  a 


SUMMARY  OF  RESULTS  17 

gain  of  8  per  cent  in  expenditures  reckoned  in  purchas- 
ing power,  and  a  loss  of  only  12  per  cent  in  attendance, 
while  in  the  churches  of  the  smaller  communities  there 
is  a  loss  of  3  per  cent  in  membership,  20  per  cent  in 
expenditures,  and  40  per  cent  in  attendance.  In  the 
strictly  rural  districts  in  Windsor  County  there  is  a 
loss  in  church  attendance  of  no  less  than  53  per  cent. 
In  a  very  large  part  of  the  churches  of  both  counties, 
the  congregations  have  been  decreasing  so  rapidly 
and  are  now  so  small  as  to  make  the  conditions  and  *' 
prospects  most  disheartening  to  the  church-going 
people. 

Statisticians  do  not  commonly  make  distinctions  be- 
tween the  two  classes  of  communities  here  considered. 
Thus  in  the  figures  of  the  United  States  Census,  towns 
of  less  than  2,500  inhabitants  are  grouped  with  the 
strictly  rural  districts.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that 
the  country  church  problem  and  the  country  Ufe  prob- 
lem for  the  area  investigated  is  far  more  acute  than 
statistical  data  would  have  led  us  to  suppose. 

In  both  counties  the  church  encounters  little  or  no 
hostihty,  and  in  most  communities  enjoys  the  more 
or  less  passive  good  will  of  the  people.  Yet  it  has  been 
losing  in  prestige  and  influence,  while  the  persons  iden- 
tified with  the  church  as  a  rule  constitute  a  less  influen- 


l8  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

tial  part  of  the  population  than  was  the  case  twenty 
years  ago. 

The  great  decHne  in  church  attendance  in  the  open 
country  is  the  most  alarming  fact  developed  by  the 
investigation. 

Important  evidence  was  found  to  show  the  evil  effect 
of  over  churching.  In  the  smaller  communities  the 
more  numerous  the  churches  the  greater  the  loss  in 
attendance  in  the  last  twenty  years.  In  the  two  town- 
ships in  Windsor  County  which  had  each  but  one 
church,  each  of  the  two  has  held  its  own  in  the  twenty 
year  period  better  than  the  churches  in  other  townships. 

In  the  smaller  villages  and  open  country  of  Tompkins 
County,  in  almost  every  case  it  is  true  that  each  church 
which  has  a  field  to  itself  now  prospers  better  than  com- 
petitive churches  in  other  communities.  Thus  in  the 
small  communities  with  only  one  church  there  has  been  a 
loss  of  total  church  attendance  of  30  per  cent  in  twenty 
years,  while  in  the  small  communities  with  two  churches 
there  was  a  loss  of  50  per  cent  and  where  there  were 
more  than  two  churches  a  loss  of  55  per  cent. 

To  sum  up:  While  in  the  twenty  years  church  ex- 
penditures in  the  two  counties  expressed  in  dollars 
indicated  a  gain,  when  expressed  in  purchasing  power 
they  showed  a  loss.    While  membership  was  making  a 


CHURCH  ATTENDANCE  IQ 

trifling  gain,  church  attendance  was  suffering  an  alarm- 
ing reduction.  In  a  word,  the  vitality  and  power  of 
the  country  church  in  these  two  counties  is  in  dechne. 


4.   CHURCH  ATTENDANCE 

Before  the  present  investigation  was  made  there 
existed  no  considerable  amount  of  recorded  evidence 
bearing  upon  recent  changes  in  church  attendance. 
Such  records  as  could  be  found  bear  out,  however,  the 
conclusions  reached  through  the  investigation.  In 
Vermont,  the  ministers  of  such  Congregational  and 
Baptist  Churches  as  are  assisted  by  their  state  home 
missionary  organizations,  commonly  count  their  con- 
gregations and  make  reports.  Of  the  seven  aided  Con- 
gregational Churches  of  Vermont  for  which  there  is  a 
record  of  attendance  for  periods  of  about  twenty  years, 
in  all  but  one  attendance  has  fallen  off.  The  loss  for 
the  seven  is  from  64  to  45,  or  an  average  of  35  per  cent. 
The  aided  Baptist  Churches,  more  than  twenty  in  num- 
ber, are  shown  by  the  records  to  have  sustained  a  loss  in 
attendance  of  37  per  cent  in  14  years. 

During  the  investigation  in  Windsor  County,  records 
for  counted  congregations  were  secured  for  34  different 
churches.     Of   these   only   9   gained   in   attendance, 


20  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

while  25  lost.  Seven  of  the  records  do  not  extend  into 
the  period  of  the  investigation  and  may  be  disregarded. 
Since  1888,  or  the  closest  year  preceding  or  following 
that  date  for  which  attendance  was  recorded,  the 
records  show  4  churches  which  gained  in  attendance 
as  against  23  which  lost. 

Records  of  church  attendance  and  membership  in 
Windsor  County  were  found  in  considerable  number 
for  the  years  1856  to  1864.  During  these  years  the 
average  congregation  was  invariably  larger,  and  as  a 
rule  very  much  larger,  than  the  membership.  In  i860 
for  example,  the  average  membership  for  36  Congrega- 
tional Churches  was  46,  while  the  average  congregation 
was  99,  or  more  than  double  the  membership.  In  1865 
the  total  membership  of  this  denomination  for  the  State 
was  17,136,  while  the  average  attendance  was  22,274. 
In  that  year  the  total  Congregational  membership  in 
Windsor  County  Association  was  2,788,  while  the 
attendance  numbered  3,380.  In  1874  the  attend- 
ance was  less  than  the  membership.  In  nine  years 
attendance  had  changed  from  17  per  cent  greater  than 
membership  to  3  per  cent  less,  while  in  the  State  the 
corresponding  change  was  from  29  per  cent  greater  to 
6  per  cent  less.  Reports  of  aided  Baptist  Churches  of 
Vermont  from  1886  to  1902  show  the  same  tendency. 


CHURCH  ATTENDANCE  21 

Records  to  show  a  similar  state  of  facts  for  Tompkins 
County  are  lacking  except  for  the  twenty  years  covered 
by  the  investigation,  but  the  belief  that  the  facts  are 
the  same  is  practically  universal  among  the  old  church 
members  throughout  the  county. 

We  have  seen  that  out  of  the  85  churches  in  the  two 
counties  the  attendance  in  no  less  than  71,  or  83  J^ 
per  cent,  has  declined  in  proportion  to  their  member- 
ship. One  church  in  Windsor  County  with  an  average 
attendance  of  75  had  an  enrolled  membership  of  271,  of 
whom  only  186  were  finally  found  to  be  living.  In  an- 
other church  the  actual  count  for  a  period  of  six  months 
showed  only  10  per  cent  of  the  resident  members 
attending  church. 

In  one  community  in  Tompkins  County,  where  the 
three  existing  churches  taken  together  are  not  as  strong 
now  as  any  one  of  them  was  twenty  years  ago,  the  total 
membership  has  increased  48  per  cent,  while  one  of 
these  churches,  whose  average  attendance  has  dwin- 
dled to  about  10,  and  which  is  about  to  die,  has  in- 
creased its  members  on  the  rolls  283  per  cent  in  the  last 
twenty  years,  which  increase  is  accompanied  by  a 
decline  in  attendance  of  69  per  cent. 

In  20  out  of  23  towns  in  Windsor  County  (the 
24th  town,  Baltimore,  has   no   church),   and  in  all 


22  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

the  8  towns  considered  in  Tompkins  County,  the  loss  in 
attendance  is  gfeater  than  the  loss  in  membership, 
while  in  19  out  of  th'e  ^3  towns  in  Windsor  County,  and 
in  a  majority  of  the  towns  in  Tompkins  County,  the 
membership  is  increasing  while  the  attendance  is  falling 
off. 

It  has  been  urged  that  the  discrepancy  between  mem- 
bership and  attendance  might  be  laid  to  the  non- 
attendance  of  non-resident  members,  but  Table  11 
(page  113)  disposes  of  this  contention.  Out  of  32 
churches  in  Windsor  County  for  which  the  necessary 
figures  exist  there  are  26  in  which  resident  membership 
has  increased  in  proportion  to  attendance,  and  only  6  in 
which  attendance  has  gained  in  proportion  to  resident 
membership. 

It  has  already  been  stated  that  there  has  been  a 
marked  decline  in  church  attendance  for  twenty  years 
in  both  counties,  both  absolutely  and  in  proportion  to 
the  Protestant  population.  It  appears  now  that  this 
loss  has  been  in  progress  for  at  least  fifty  years,  and 
that  the  tendency  to  stay  away  from  church  exists  not 
only  in  the  community  in  general  but  in  church  mem- 
bers as  well. 


STUDY  OF  ATTENDANCE  23 

5.   A   METHOD   FOR   STUDYING  ATTENDANCE 

The  method  devised  by  Mr.  Gill  by  which  church 
attendance  in  a  given  year  was  compared  with  church 
attendance  twenty  years  later  is  set  forth  in  detail  in 
Part  II  (page  97).  It  was  applied  first  in  Windsor 
County  for  the  two  years  1888  and  1908.  Briefly  it 
was  as  follows: 

In  1888,  there  were  30,364  Protestant  people  in 
Windsor  County;  in  1908,  29,785.  From  the  tax  list 
of  the  county  and  by  other  methods,  fairly  complete, 
lists  were  obtained  of  all  families  living  in  the  county  in 
1888,  and  again  in  1908.  Carefully  chosen  persons  in 
each  church  were  then  invited  to  go  over  the  lists,  and 
to  record  the  church-going  habits  of  every  member  of 
every  family  in  each  of  the  two  years.  Those  who  went 
to  church  were  divided  into  three  classes, — occasional 
attendants,  who  went  to  church  from  one-sixth  to  one- 
third  of  the  time;  frequent  attendants,  who  went  from 
one- third  to  two- thirds  of  the  time;  and  regular  attend- 
ants, who  went  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  time. 
Through  the  generous  and  earnest  cooperation  of  several 
hundred  people  in  the  county,  it  was  possible  to  assign 
the  whole  Protestant  church-going  population  to  these 
three  classes. 


24  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

While  the  investigation  was  in  progress  records  of 
counted  congregations  were  found  for  35  churches.  By 
the  use  of  these  records  it  became  possible  to  compare 
and  check  the  results  of  the  investigation  with  actual 
recorded  counts  in  the  case  of  about  40  per  cent  of 
the  churches.  Usually  the  agreement  was  close.  In 
some  cases  the  results  of  the  counts  showed  a  greater 
loss  in  church  attendance  than  did  the  investigation, 
while  in  only  two  cases  did  the  investigation  indicate 
a  greater  loss  than  the  count,  and  in  both  of  these  the 
differences  were  very  slight.  Accordingly  it  is  clear 
that  the  facts  may  be  worse  than  the  investigation  in- 
dicates.   They  are  certainly  not  better. 

6.  COMPARISON  OF  EXPENDITURES 

It  is  not  sufficient,  in  making  a  comparison  between 
the  expenditures  of  two  periods  twenty  years  apart,  to 
ascertain  merely  the  number  of  dollars  contributed 
and  spent.  This  is  true  for  two  reasons.  First,  the 
average  expenditures  for  nearly  all  purposes  have 
greatly  increased  in  the  United  States  since  1888. 
Even  when  a  church  spends  the  same  amount  now  as  it 
did  twenty  years  ago,  its  expenditures,  when  compared 
with  the  higher  plane  of  spending  on  which  men  live 


COMPARISON  OF  EXPENDITURES  25 

to-day,  will  have  fallen  off  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 
number  of  dollars  remains  the  same.  Second,  the 
purchasing  power  of  the  dollar  now  is  smaller  than  it 
was  twenty  years  ago.  In  order  to  produce  the  same 
results  the  church  must  spend  more  money  now  than 
it  did  then. 

Prices  and  the  cost  of  living  have  risen  in  twenty 
years.  Therefore  any  instructive  comparison  between 
church  expenditures  at  the  two  periods  must  take  into 
account  the  change  in  the  purchasing  power  of  the  dol- 
lar. Hence  it  became  necessary  to  ascertain  the  relative 
purchasing  power  of  the  dollar  in  the  two  years  com- 
pared. In  order  to  do  so,  those  items  were  selected  for 
comparison  which  the  reports  of  the  Department  of 
Commerce  and  Labor  indicate  as  most  important  in 
household  expenditure.  Accordingly  prices  were  sought 
and  found  for  each  of  the  years  on  beef  steak,  ham,  salt 
and  fresh  pork,  lamb,  chickens,  eggs,  fish,  milk,  butter, 
cheese,  lard,  sugar,  potatoes,  flour,  rice,  beans,  coffee, 
tea,  kerosene,  wood,  coal,  and  rent. 

This  list  was  taken  into  the  general  stores  and  meat 
markets  of  the  different  townships,  old  day  books  and 
ledgers  were  hunted  out,  and  from  them  the  different 
prices  of  the  articles  were  ascertained.  Rents  were 
found  from  rental  values  of  parsonages  and  other 


26  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

records.  Articles  of  clothing  under  the  same  general 
name  were  found  to  be  of  such  different  quality  and 
price  in  the  same  year  that  it  was  impossible  to  make 
reliable   comparisons. 

For  Windsor  County,  prices  were  ascertained  for  any 
one  year  from  1875  to  1880,  any  one  year  from  1880 
to  1884  inclusive;  any  one  year  from  1885  to  1889  inclu- 
sive, for  1890,  1893,  1895,  1898,  1900,  1903,  1905,  1908 
and  1909.  Fairly  complete  results  were  obtained  in  20 
out  of  the  23  townships  in  which  there  were  churches. 

For  Tompkins  County  prices  were  ascertained  for 
any  one  year  from  1875  to  1879  inclusive;  any  one  year 
from  1880  to  1884;  for  the  years  1886,  1888,  1890, 1893, 
1895,  1898,  1900,  1903,  1905,  1906,  1908,  1909,  and 
1 9 10.  Nearly  complete  results  were  obtained  from 
all  the  8  townships. 

Having  completed  the  list  of  prices  for  the  different 
years,  the  prices  of  one  particular  year  were  taken  as 
100,  and  all  prices  for  other  years  were  reduced  to  per- 
centages of  the  prices  in  that  year.  Then  these  per- 
centages were  given  relative  weight  in  accordance  with 
the  proportion  of  the  family  income  spent  for  each 
article  in  the  average  household,  as  indicated  by  a  report 
of  the  Department  of  Commerce  and  Labor  for  1903. 
Since  figures  for  Vermont  were  not  included  in  this 


/ 


COMPARISON  OF  EXPENDITURES  2^ 

report,  those  for  New  Hampshire,  which  bounds  Wind- 
sor County  on  one  side,  were  used  for  that  county.  In 
this  way  a  table  was  made  of  the  relative  cost  of  living 
in  the  different  years. 

An  example  will  make  plain  the  rest  of  the  process. 
Suppose  that  a  minister's  salary  during  the  first  period 
averaged  $i,ooo  a  year,  and  in  the  second  period  twenty 
years  later  averaged  $1,200.  The  cost  of  living  in  the 
first  period  is  taken  at  100.  By  comparison,  in  the 
second  period  it  is  found  to  be  130.  The  purchasing 
power  of  the  dollar  in  the  first  period  is  taken  as  100, 
and  in  the  second  it  is  100  divided  by  130  or  .769.  The  ' 
real  or  purchasing  value  of  the  salary,  which  was  $1,000 
in  the  first  period,  in  the  second  period  would  be  $1,200 
multipHed  by  .769,  or  $922.80.  Thus  in  spite  of  the 
increase  in  the  number  of  dollars  paid  him,  the  minister  / 
in  the  example  would  actually  be  poorer  in  the  second 
period  than  in  the  first. 

When  the  results  of  the  price  comparisons  thus  ascer- 
tained were  worked  out  it  was  found  that  in  the  twenty 
towns  of  Windsor  County  for  which  data  were  available 
the  average  increase  in  the  cost  of  living  during  the 
twenty  year  period  was  24  per  cent.  The  greatest  in- 
crease was  48  per  cent  in  the  town  of  Hartford;  the 
smallest  increase  is  7  per  cent  in  the  town  of  Weston. 


28  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

Hartford  is  at  the  junction  of  three  railroads,  while 
Weston  is  shut  off  by  hills  from  railroad  communication. 
In  Tompkins  County  the  greatest  increase  was  28  per 
cent  in  the  township  of  Groton,  and  the  least  14  per 
cent  in  the  townships  of  Ulysses  and  Enfield  while  for 
the  county  as  a  whole  the  increase  was  19  per  cent.  The 
towns  of  Tompkins  County  vary  less  in  size  and  ac- 
cessibility to  markets  than  those  of  Windsor  County, 
which  explains  the  smaller  variations  in  the  cost  of 
living. 

7.  ministers'  salaries 

It  is  unquestionably  true  that  the  way  to  secure  a 
country  ministry  composed  of  men  of  character  and 
efficiency  is  to  make  the  work  large  enough  and  broad 
enough  to  attract  such  men.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
character  and  efficiency  of  the  country  church  will  be 
greatly  affected  by  the  type  of  men  who  enter  it.  It  is 
true  that  men  who  are  seriously  considering  the  minis- 
try as  their  profession  are  not  likely  to  be  actuated  by 
mercenary  motives.  Nevertheless  a  life  unduly  limited 
on  the  material  side  does  not  attract  the  best  men. 
Moreover,  a  low  standard  of  pay  deters  men  already  in 
the  ministry  from  advising  the  best  young  men  of  their 
parishes  to  take  it  up.     The  same  cause  has  driven 


MINISTERS'  SALARIES  29 

many  men  of  intellectual  capacity  and  high  character 
out  of  the  ministry  in  order  to  secure  the  necessaries 
of  life  for  their  families  and  themselves. 

More  than  in  former  years  the  ministers  of  the  present 
are  dependent  on  their  salaries  for  their  support.  In 
the  earlier  days,  when  the  minister  came  to  the  parish 
he  was  received  as  a  member  of  an  intimate  community, 
and  the  people  felt  responsible  for  the  supply  of  his 
needs.  When  killing  animals  for  food  the  farmers  gave 
him  part  of  the  meat.  A  part  of  the  harvest  was  his 
also,  and  money  and  food  supplies  came  to  him  in  formal 
donations.  In  Table  39  (pages  186,  187)  it  is  shown 
that  *' donations"  to  ministers  in  one  set  of  churches 
in  Tompkins  County  declined  more  than  60  per  cent  in 
twenty  years.  Reports  from  other  churches  point  to  a 
similar  change,  as  does  also  the  common  testimony  of 
the  older  people  of  the  communities  investigated. 

In  the  Baptist  Churches  in  Vermont  it  was  once 
thought  improper  for  ministers  to  preach  for  money 
or  to  take  pay  for  their  services.  At  first  this  was  a 
matter  of  conscience,  later  a  matter  of  parsimony. 
Later  still  the  minister  came  to  accept  his  salary  with 
his  office  as  a  matter  of  course.  At  present,  beyond 
paying  the  amount  agreed  upon,  a  parish  does  not 
ordinarily  assume  responsibility  for  the  support  of  its 


30  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

pastor.  This  may  be  an  improvement  on  the  old  way, 
but  it  can  be  so  only  when  the  minister  receives  a  salary 
of  adequate  purchasing  power. 

The  needs  of  life  to-day  are  greater  than  those  of 
twenty  years  ago.  The  general  standard  of  living  is 
higher,  and  men  commonly  spend  more  now  than  they 
did  then.  The  minister  needs  not  only  better,  and  so 
more  expensive,  preparation,  but  he  needs  also  more 
books  and  periodicals.  The  country  minister  needs 
money  to  attend  conferences  and  to  keep  in  touch  with 
other  ministers  and  wath  students  of  the  public  welfare. 
The  cost  of  feeding  his  horse  is  very  much  greater  than 
it  was.  He  must  furnish  his  own  equipment  in  other 
lines  also,  and  pay  for  the  wear  and  tear. 

The  average  minister  in  Windsor  and  Tompkins 
counties  does  not  receive  a  living  salary;  much  less 
does  he  receive  a  working  salary.  It  is  small  wonder 
that  those  who  assist  churches  in  getting  their  ministers 
report  a  scarcity  of  good  men  available,  or  that  many 
good  men  have  been  leaving  the  ministry  who  would 
much  prefer  to  stay  if  they  could  do  so  and  still  support 
their  families.  One  successful  minister  in  Tompkins 
County  graduated  from  a  leading  Theological  Seminary 
in  a  class  of  twenty-five.  Twenty-five  years  after 
graduation  it  was  found  that  only  six  members  of  his 


EQUIPMENT  OF  MINISTERS  31 

class  were  still  in  the  ministry.    The  cause  assigned  was 
the  lack  of  a  living  salary. 

The  decline  in  the  support  of  the  ministry  in  Windsor 
and  Tompkins  counties  is  so  serious  a  matter  that  the 
country  church  problem  in  this  area  can  not  be  solved 
without  better  salaries  for  the  country  ministers. 

8.   EDUCATIONAL  EQUIPMENT  OF  MINISTERS 

The  demands  of  modern  thought  call  for  an  educa- 
tional equipment  on  the  part  of  the  ministry  far  greater 
than  has  been  necessary  in  the  past.  It  is  important 
to  know  whether  the  ministers  have  prepared  them- 
selves to  meet  these  demands.  Letters  inquiring  as  to 
length  and  character  of  courses  taken  in  college  and 
seminary  were  sent  to  all  of  the  ninety-one  ministers  of 
the  two  counties,  and  answers  were  received  from 
seventy-nine. 

From  these  answers  it  appears  that  only  twelve 
ministers  in  Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties  com- 
pleted the  regular  college  and  seminary  course  of  seven 
years  which  a  high  standard  of  preparation  requires. 
Thirty-four  had  received  either  college  or  seminary 
training,  or  both  together,  of  from  three  to  six  years. 
Ten  had  taken  the  course  in  reading  and  study  pre- 


32  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

scribed  by  Methodist  Episcopal  Conferences;  while 
forty-seven  (or  more  than  half)  had  received  no  train- 
ing which  could  be  regarded  as  adequate  for  a  minister 
of  the  present  day.  These  forty-seven  had  received 
less  instruction  in  institutions  of  learning  than  the 
least  that  it  is  customary  for  physicians  to  receive  in 
the  counties  investigated. 

While  it  may  not  be  possible  to  say,  in  any  individual 
case,  that  a  fixed  amount  of  training  in  college  and 
seminary  is  indispensable  for  good  service  in  the  minis- 
try, it  is  certain  that  on  the  average  a  low  standard  of 
preparation  will  produce  a  low  standard  of  work.  In 
the  long  run  the  qualities  which  lead  a  young  man  to 
demand  for  himself  a  thorough  preparation  as  a  student 
will  also  make  him  demand  of  himself  a  high  degree  of 
efiiciency  in  his  work  as  a  minister. 

Long  ago  the  leaders  of  modern  religious  thought 
began  to  apply  the  scientific  method  to  their  study  of 
religion.  The  readjustment  of  religious  doctrine  in 
accordance  with  the  scientific  method  calls  for  religious 
teachers  of  better  equipment  than  we  now  have  in  the 
country.  The  lack  of  them  leads  at  times  to  a  striking 
discrepancy  between  what  is  taught  in  the  country 
churches  and  what  is  taught  in  seminaries  and  universi- 
ties.   This  discrepancy  in  turn  leads  to  confusion  and 


A  SUCCESSFUL  CHURCH  33 

misapprehension  as  to  what  the  church  stands  for  and 
what  is  essential  to  its  teaching.  The  repetition  of  old 
expressionsandoldmodesofthoughtdoesnotsatisfythe 

needs  of  modern  people.  Higher  intellectual  standards 
for  the  ministry  are  indispensable  to  insure  progress. 

The  scarcity  of  well-equipped  men,  willing  to  accept 
country  parishes  under  present  conditions,  prevents 
the  denominations  from  raising  their  standard  of  mmis- 
terial  training.  But  much  more  depends  upon  the 
kind  of  men  the  ministry  attracts  to  its  ranks  than  upon 
their  educational  equipment.  What  is  chiefly  needed 
is  to  make  the  work  of  a  country  minister  better  worth 
doing.  When  that  is  accomplished  it  will  be  easy  to 
find  better  men,  and  better  trained  men,  to  do  it. 

9.  A  SUCCESSFUL  CHURCH 

The  most  successful  church  in  Windsor  County  has 
a  conception  of  its  mission  essentially  different  from 
that  of  most  of  the  others.  Both  in  conducting  its  own 
affairs  and  in  its  relation  to  the  community,  its  work  is 
based  on  broad  principles  of  democracy  and  social 
service,  and  the  object  of  the  work  is  the  community 
rather  than  the  church  itself . 
This  church  is  actively  interested  in  the  work  and 


34  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

play  of  the  community  as  well  as  in  its  ethical  welfare. 
It  renders  its  services  without  regard  to  what  it  may 
gain  for  itself  as  a  result  of  them.  Although  it  is  the 
originator  and  promoter  of  various  movements  which 
are  not  conducted  in  the  name  of  the  church,  it  does  not 
seek  credit  for  the  good  work  accomplished.  Thus, 
by  the  church's  initiative,  a  civic  league  was  formed, 
which  has  become  an  important  factor  in  awakening 
public  sentiment  and  creating  a  demand  for  the  rea- 
sonable enforcement  of  law.  The  result  is  a  general 
improvement  in  the  morals  of  the  township  and  greater 
cooperation  among  public-spirited  citizens  for  the  bet- 
terment of  conditions  in  the  villages  which  compose  it. 
Better  influences  are  brought  to  bear  on  the  boys,  in 
part  through  a  boys'  club  under  the  supervision  of  the 
minister.  As  a  result  the  streets  of  the  village  have 
been  freed  from  profane  and  unclean  language,  the 
boys  are  acquiring  wholesome  ambitions,  more  of  the 
older  ones  attend  high  schools  or  academies,  and  there 
is  a  marked  lessening  of  the  number  of  youthful  loafers. 
By  suggesting  a  system  of  athletic  games  and  assist- 
ing in  its  establishment,  the  minister  has  helped  to 
bring  about  an  important  improvement  of  discipline 
in  the  schools,  with  better  habits  of  study  on  the  part 
of  the  pupils. 


A  SUCCESSFUL  CHURCH  35 

Work  for  the  girls  has  made  good  progress  also,  and 
the  best  women  of  the  community,  without  regard  to 
denomination,  are  now  cooperating  in  it.  Their  homes 
are  thrown  open  for  young  people's  gatherings,  and  a 
concerted  effort  is  made  to  supply  the  opportunities 
for  healthy  amusement  and  the  maturer  influences  that 
are  so  much  needed  in  a  young  girl's  Hfe. 

There  is  community  cooperation  for  the  benefit  of 
boys  as  well,  and  they  too  are  invited  into  the  best 
homes,  while  at  the  suggestion  of  the  church  the  library 
has  set  apart  special  shelves  for  the  use  of  the  Boys' 
Club,  and  for  the  girls,  as  well  as  books  relating  to  sub- 
jects discussed  in  the  church  meetings. 

A  successful  women's  club  has  been  estabHshed  which 
offers  escape  for  tired  women  from  the  narrowing  in- 
fluences of  daily  drudgery,  and  exercises  an  important 
function  of  its  own  in  their  lives. 

Instead  of  a  Christmas  Tree  given  by  the  church, 
as  in  former  years,  there  is  now  a  community  tree,  in 
which,  regardless  of  creed  or  race,  all  have  a  share.  In 
this  way  a  considerable  sum  of  money  is  yearly  raised 
and  expended  in  useful  presents  for  the  young  people 
under  the  direction  of  a  special  representative  com- 
mittee appointed  to  ascertain  their  needs. 

The  program  of  the  church  is  well  rounded  in  its  rela- 


S6  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

tion  to  the  general  welfare,  and  the  effect  of  its  wider 
view  appears  in  its  hold  upon  the  community.  Many 
intelligent  persons  who  were  on  the  verge  of  leaving  the 
church  because  its  activities  did  not  appeal  to  them  are 
now  enthusiastic  church  workers,  and  lend  their  energy 
to  the  promotion  of  its  enterprises.  Although  mid-week 
services  in  most  of  the  churches  in  Windsor  County  are 
poorly  attended  or  do  not  exist,  in  this  church  they  are 
well  attended  and  successful.  Once  a  month  the  mid- 
week service  becomes  a  conference  for  social  and  civic 
betterment,  whereby  a  wholesome  and  effective  public 
sentiment  is  created  or  increased. 

Until  within  two  years  the  attendance  upon  Sunday 
services  from  the  farmers  was  small  as  compared  with 
that  of  twenty  or  thirty  years  ago.  But  when  the 
minister  and  the  church  began  to  realize  the  country 
life  movement  and  their  relation  to  it,  the  farmers  of 
the  congregation  began  to  attend  more  regularly,  and 
others  came  also  with  new  interest  in  the  services  of 
the  church  and  new  appreciation  of  its  relation  to  the 
man  on  the  farm.  Contact  with  the  country  life  move- 
ment and  participation  in  it  gave  the  church  a  new 
vitality  and  a  new  appeal. 

Because  of  all  this,  the  influence  of  the  church  has 
extended  beyond  its  own  community,  first  into  the 


REMEDIES  37 

township,  and  then  into  the  county,  and  it  has  already 
taken  a  strong  part  in  originating  a  state-wide  move- 
ment for  the  betterment  of  hfe  in  the  open  country. 

While  all  this  work  was  done  because  it  was  needed 
rather  than  for  the  purpose  of  building  up  the  church, 
the  result  has  been  to  strengthen  the  church  in  every 
way,  to  improve  the  attendance  and  the  preaching, 
and  to  increase  the  general  interest  in  the  church  and 
its  work. 

The  most  successful  church  in  Tompkins  County 
does  not  supply  so  striking  an  example.    Nevertheless,* 
its  interest  in  the  country  life  movement  during  the  past 
two  years  has  been  followed  by  a  marked  increase  in 
its  attendance  and  in  the  value  of  its  work. 

Under  present  conditions  in  Windsor  and  Tompkins 
counties  it  is  evident  that  the  church  narrowly  devoted 
to  its  own  interests  can  not  succeed.  So  far  as  these 
two  counties  are  concerned,  intelligent  devotion  on  the 
part  of  the  country  church  to  the  general  interests  of 
the  community  is  a  pre-requisite  for  successful  service. 

lO.   REMEDIES 

There  is  no  single  solution  for  the  problem  of  the 
country  church.    The  remedies  here  proposed  embody 


SS  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

the  conclusions  of  this  investigation,  and  are  suggested 
to  meet  the  conditions  which  were  found  to  exist  in 
Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties.  They  may  or  may 
not  be  altogether  applicable  to  other  localities. 

The  same  confusion  of  mind  as  to  the  condition  of 
the  country  church,  which  was  discovered  to  be  prev- 
alent, exists  also  as  to  the  causes  of  its  decline  and  as 
to  possible  remedies.  The  reasons  assigned  for  the 
decline  were  so  numerous  and  so  various  that  they  could 
not  all  be  true.  Discouragement  was  common,  prac- 
ticable suggestions  rare,  and  many  persons  were  found 
to  believe  that  nothing  could  be  done  to  improve  the 
present  conditions.  Yet  we  know  that  a  few  country 
churches  in  different  parts  of  the  United  States  have 
recently  shown  renewed  virility  and  effectiveness  as  the 
result  of  applying  new  principles  and  methods  to  their 
work,  and  we  are  safe  in  concluding  that  remedies  exist, 
since  they  have  been  successfully  applied. 

Improvement  of  Country  Life.  The  most  obvious 
cause  for  the  growing  weakness  of  the  country  church 
in  Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties  is  the  general 
r/  decline  of  rural  population,  both  in  numbers  and  in 
vigor.  The  centralization  of  industries  in  larger  com- 
munities and  the  call  of  the  cities  has  drawn  away 
from  the  country  the  most  ambitious  young  women 


REMEDIES  39 

and  young  men.  Farm  machinery  has  reduced  the 
number  of  hands  formerly  necessary  on  a  given  area 
of  land,  while  the  agricultural  development  of  the 
West  brought  a  new  and  sharper  competition  upon  the 
New  York  and  New  England  farmers.  Too  large  a 
share  of  the  farmers'  product  goes  to  the  middleman  and 
the  country  people  get  less  than  their  share  of  the  gen- 
eral prosperity. 

School,  press,  and  even  the  country  church  itself, 
have  helped  to  direct  the  attention  of  the  country  boy 
and  girl  to  the  city  as  the  place  of  success.  It  is  still  ac- 
cepted as  the  part  of  wisdom  to  leave  the  farm.  Those 
who  are  left  after  the  stronger  and  more  enterprising 
have  gone  away  can  not  supply  the  best  material  either 
for  ministers  or  for  teachers,  nor  can  they  furnish  the 
vigorous  population  which  is  indispensable  if  local 
institutions  of  a  high  standard  are  to  be  estabHshed  or 
maintained. 

With  the  present  depleted  country  population  and 
the  disinclination  of  the  farmers  to  combine  even  for 
their  own  good,  the  organization  and  strengthening  of 
life  on  the  farm  will  be  difl&cult.  Without  the  help  of 
the  church,  that  difl&culty  will  be  multiplied  many 
fold,  for  in  the  coming  reconstruction  of  country  life 
there  is  no  other  agency  that  can  fill  its  place.    Under 


y 


40  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

church  leadership,  successful  cooperation  in  the  pro- 
duction and  marketing  of  crops,  in  buying  supplies, 
and  in  milling  and  banking,  has  been  brought  about  in 
certain  localities  outside  the  two  counties,  where  with- 
out the  religious  motive  it  would  apparently  have  been 
impossible.  The  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  and  the 
Pennsylvania  Germans  are  said  to  be  the  only  Protest- 
ant churches  not  affected  by  the  decline  of  country 
life,  and  that  because  they  have  been  able,  through 
cooperation,  to  create  and  maintain  effective  economic 
organization  in  the  open  country. 

The  country  church  can  not  hope  for  prosperity  apart 
from  the  improvement  of  country  life.  Whatever  tends 
to  produce  a  lower  standard  of  living  in  the  country, 
necessarily  and  immediately  affects  the  country  church. 
If  there  were  no  other  and  weightier  reasons,  as  a  mere 
matter  of  self-preservation  the  church  could  not  afford 
to  hold  itself  aloof  from  the  struggle  to  secure  the  condi- 
tions of  successful  life  upon  the  land.  It  can  not  hold 
itself  free  from  responsibility  for  the  continuance  of 
bad  economic  conditions  and  expect  to  thrive  in  the 
midst  of  them. 

In  Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties,  bad  farming 
and  weak  churches  go  together.  In  Tompkins  County 
in  particular  a  poor  soil  means  likewise  a  poor  church. 


REMEDIES  41 

The  country  churches  must  recognize  it  as  an  integral 
part  of  their  work  to  promote  better  farming,  better 
business,  and  better  living  on  the  farm.  The  country 
church  can  not  prosper  unless  it  is  deeply,  intelligently, 
and  effectively  interested  in  agricultural  production, 
in  securing  for  the  farmer  a  fairer  share  of  what  he 
produces,  in  improving  the  social  life  and  recreation  of 
the  community,  and  in  the  physical  and  intellectual, 
as  well  as  the  moral,  development  and  health  of  the 
boys  and  girls,  men  and  women,  of  its  charge.  To 
promote  economic  cooperation  among  farmers  is  an 
indispensable  task  of  the  country  church. 

Schools.  There  can  be  no  vigorous  and  animated  life 
in  the  country,  no  solution  of  the  country  life  problem 
or  the  country  church  problem  in  the  two  counties  in- 
vestigated unless  certain  important  changes  are  made  in 
the  schools.  They  must  be  fitted  to  direct  the  attention 
and  the  interest  of  their  pupils  toward  country  hfe  in- 
stead of  toward  the  cities,  and  designed  to  cultivate  in 
them  the  power  and  the  habit  of  appreciation  of  the 
farm.  The  effectiveness  of  country  schools  properly 
directed  in  changing  boys  and  girls  from  their  desire 
for  city  life  to  a  taste  for  country  life  and  occupation 
has  already  been  amply  shown  in  other  localities.  An 
agricultural  school  has  been  established  near  the  border 


I/' 


y 


42  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

of  Windsor  County,  and  leading  teachers  in  Vermont 
are  already  awake  to  the  fact  that  the  improvement 
of  the  schools  is  necessary  to  any  successful  progressive 
movement  in  the  State. 

In  Tompkins  County  the  situation  is  less  fortunate. 
There  a  large  proportion  of  the  boys  and  girls  who  at- 
tend school  after  the  lower  grades  go  to  the  city  of 
Ithaca.  Here  their  interests  are  naturally  diverted 
away  from  the  farm  and  the  country,  and  toward  city 
life  and  city  occupations.  In  this  county  at  least  one 
agricultural  high  school,  preparing  boys  and  girls  for 
life  in  the  country,  is  badly  needed. 

While  the  organization  of  the  country  church  is  not 
at  present  adapted  to  doing  some  of  the  things  here 
suggested,  it  should  not  on  that  account  feel  less  re- 
sponsible for  their  being  done.  Where  it  is  not  pre- 
pared to  deal  with  the  immediate  and  vital  interests 
of  country  life,  it  must  reorganize  itself  for  that 
purpose,  and  it  should  stimulate  not  only  its 
members,  but  others  also,  to  bring  the  help  re- 
quired. 

A  Program  of  Social  Service.  The  church  in  the 
country  needs  a  new  program.  With  the  whole  world 
turning  to  combined  or  cooperative  action  as  the  basis 
of  efficiency,   the  program  of  the  country  churches 


REMEDIES  43 

continues  to  deal  wholly  with  individuals,  and  hence 
remains  defective  and  one-sided. 

Apart  from  the  pastoral  work  of  the  country  minis- 
ters,  they  ordinarily  seek  the  common  welfare  exclu- 
sively through  worship  and  religious  instruction,  and"^ 
they  assume  that  instruction  and  worship,  acting  on 
the  individuals  of  their  congregations,  will  solve  the 
problems  of  the  times.  It  has  become  evident  that  they 
are  mistaken. 

In  Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties  the  country 
churches  are  far  behind  those  of  most  foreign  missions - 
in  the  breadth  of  their  conception  of  their  work.  They 
are  not  working  directly  for  the  development  of  pro- 
gressive Christian  communities,  while  too  often  their 
standard  of  goodness  is  merely  negative. 

For  the  most  part  the  rural  churches  of  these  two 
counties  perpetuate  tradition,  but  give  no  living  message.  / 
Thus  the  effort  spent  hitherto  on  the  revival  services 
which  have  actually  been  held  in  the  two  counties  has 
generally  been  meager  in  result,  often  of  doubtful  value, 
and  sometimes  positively  harmful.  In  a  small  village  in 
Tompkins  County  a  revival  in  1890  produced  two  . 
hundred  converts.  Of  these  but  a  single  one  became 
and  remained  a  regular  attendant  and  member  in  good 
standing,  while  the  churches  in  the  community  have 


44  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

been  depressed  and  struggling  ever  since.  It  is  evident 
that  this  revival  has  proved  a  lasting  injury  to  these 
churches.  The  most  successful  recent  revival  reported 
to  the  investigator  served  merely  to  bring  into  <:hurch 
membership  a  certain  number  of  regular  attendants 
who,  in  the  opinion  of  their  pastor,  would  have  joined 
the  church  a  little  later. 

The  only  type  of  revival  reported  as  really  successful 
is  that  conducted  by  a  pastor  who  continues  in  the 
field  of  his  labor  after  the  revival  period  is  over.  But 
to  this  type,  as  to  the  others,  the  response  of  the  people 
has  been  growing  less  and  less.  Whether  or  not  this 
is  due  to  the  weak  condition  of  the  churches  or  because 
the  traditional  revival  method  is  not  adaptable  to 
present  day  conditions,  the  authors  have  no  sympathy 
with  the  opinion  most  often  expressed  by  the  ministers 
and  other  church  members,  that  it  is  the  fault  of  the 
people  or  of  the  times. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  most  successful  ministers  and 
churches  are  more  nearly  in  accord  with  the  conception 
of  religion  which  appeals  most  strongly  to  the  men 
and  women  of  to-day.  They  regard  the  common  welfare 
not  as  a  by-product,  but  as  a  direct  and  essential  ob- 
ject of  the  church's  endeavor.  Work  for  the  individual 
and  work  for  the  community,  in  their  view,  are  parts 


REMEDIES  45 

of  a  single  task,  because  the  highest  welfare  of  men  and 
women  can  not  be  found  apart  from  social  service  and 
the  common  good. 

The  desire  to  render  social  service  is  the  master 
Christian  impulse  of  our  time.  The  country  church 
needs  social  service  to  vitaHze  it  as  much  as  social 
service  in  the  country  needs  the  help  of  the  church. 
Although  less  attention  has  been  given  to  it,  social 
service  is  as  important  for  the  health  of  the  community 
in  the  country  as  in  the  city,  while  results  in  the  country 
are  far  more  easily  accompHshed.  Nothing  is  more 
evident  than  the  fact  that  the  country  church  must  be 
organized  for  other  service  in  addition  to  the  work  it  is 
doing  now.  Once  the  duty  of  social  service  is  recog- 
nized by  the  country  church  and  the  responsibility  for  it 
frankly  accepted,  there  will  be  no  insuperable  difficul- 
ties in  the  way. 

The  country  churches  in  Windsor  and  Tompkins 
counties  are  too  often  out  of  sympathy  with  the  best 
prevailing  religious  sentiment  of  the  present  day.  In 
recent  years  a  profound  change  has  taken  place  in  the 
religious  thinking  of  the  Protestant  people.  Whether 
this  change  represents  an  important  advance,  as  the 
authors  believe,  or  whether  it  does  not,  it  is  at  least 
true  that  the  churches  in  the  two  counties  have  lagged 


46  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

behind  in  adapting  themselves  to  the  change.  We  have 
no  desire  to  belittle  theology,  but  the  fact  remains 
that  the  most  powerful  religious  feeling  is  no  longer 
concerned  mainly  with  doctrinal  discussions,  but  seeks 
expression  in  unselfish  living  and  in  social  service.  Men 
think  less  about  dogma  and  more  about  service.  This 
feeling  the  great  majority  of  these  country  churches 
fail  to  realize  or  to  assist.  As  a  rule,  their  teaching  is 
aloof  from  the  daily  interests  of  the  people,  and  the 
application  of  Christian  doctrine  to  the  actual  condi- 
tions of  life  is  too  often  neglected. 

An  Effective  Country  Ministry.  The  country  minister 
needs  a  more  lasting  interest  in  the  country  parish. 
In  Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties  the  average  coun- 
try minister  does  not  regard  his  task  as  permanent, 
but  rather  as  a  temporary  stopping  place  on  the  road 
toward  a  larger  church.  The  value  and  significance 
of  the  service  open  to  him  as  a  country  minister  often 
escapes  him,  and  the  success  he  seeks  lies  elsewhere. 
Among  the  acquaintances  of  a  single  person  were 
fifteen  ministers  of  one  denomination  in  Tompkins 
County,  ^11  of  whom  admitted  they  were  not  in  their 
present  field  to  stay.  Another  resident  of  the  same 
county  testifies  that  in  more  than  thirty  years  he 
has  never  known  a  minister  of  a  small  parish  in  that 


REMEDIES  47 

region  who  regarded  it  as  his  permanent  work.  Under 
such  conditions  it  is  evident  that  no  continuous  policy 
or  sustained  plan  of  work  can  be  followed  long  enough 
to  produce  results  proportionate  to  the  effort  expended. 

The  country  ministry  in  these  two  counties  is  weak 
because  it  has  little  to  do  with  the  vital  needs  of  the 
people.  As  a  rule  it  is  out  of  touch  with  the  essential 
problems  which  control  the  welfare  not  only  of  country 
Hfe  but  of  the  church  itself.  The  essential  fact  is  that 
the  minister  is  often  aloof  from  the  real  concerns  of  the 
people.  Too  often  he  has  no  intelligent  appreciation  of 
whole  fields  of  human  interests  that  are  rightly  of  prime 
importance  to  his  parishoners.  The  country  minister 
needs  special  training  for  work  in  the  country.  For 
lack  of  such  training  many  of  his  chief  interests  are 
artificial  and  technical,  while  those  of  his  people  are 
essential  and  practical.  Without  a  knowledge  of  the 
fundamental  interests  of  rural  life  he  can  not  hope  to 
succeed.  His  education  should  include  courses  in  rural 
economics  and  rural  sociology  of  a  practical  sort,  and 
at  least  so  much  instruction  in  agriculture  as  will  en- 
able him  to  understand  the  work  by  which  his  parish- 
ioners earn  their  living  and  his  own. 

On  the  side  of  doctrine  also  the  country  ministry  is 
not  equipped  intellectually  to  meet  the  needs  of  the 


48  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

present  day.  Many  a  country  minister  has  been  so 
poorly  educated  that  his  ability  is  limited  to  the  cham- 
pioning of  his  own  denominational  peculiarities  of  be- 
lief, while  he  lacks  the  power  to  set  forth  and  discuss  the 
fundamental  truths  which  underlie  the  whole  structure 
of  the  church.  Most  of  the  ministers  in  the  two  coun- 
ties are  in  need  of  instruction  to  supplement  their 
training  in  college  and  seminary.  This  need  may  be 
met  in  part  by  summer  schools,  such  for  example,  as 
have  been  held  in  Amherst,  Mass.,  at  Ithaca,  Hamil- 
ton, and  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  and  elsewhere. 

The  nature  of  his  work  and  the  demands  upon  his 
intellectual  resources  also  are  such  that  the  country 
minister  needs  frequent  supplies  of  information  to  meet 
the  conditions  of  his  service.  The  books  which  now 
come  most  often  to  his  attention  fail  to  supply  his 
needs,  while  too  often  they  direct  his  attention  to 
matters  of  slight  concern  to  his  people. 

Most  country  ministers  in  the  two  counties  are  in- 
sufficiently acquainted  with  their  own  parishes.  They 
are  famiHar  with  the  roads,  and  with  the  people  whom 
they  meet,  but  the  essential  facts  as  a  rule  they  have 
not  yet  discovered.  The  country  minister  needs  a 
deeper  and  more  sympathetic  understanding  of  his 
community  and  of  the  conditions  and  needs  of  the 


REMEDIES  49 

people  whom  he  serves,  and  this  he  can  not  get  by 
ordinary  methods  of  observation,  but  only  through 
special  studies  directed  to  that  end. 

Furthermore,  as  we  have  seen,  the  salary  of  the 
average  country  minister  in  Windsor  and  Tompkins 
counties  is  not  a  living  wage.     Such  under-payment 
necessarily  keeps  him  out  of  touch  with  the  progress 
of  his  profession  by  depriving  him  of  books  and  jour- 
nals.    It  debars  him  from  the  knowledge  and  uplift 
which  conventions  supply,  and  it  creates  a  condition  of 
restlessness  which  not  only  kills  his  own  effectiveness  • 
in  his  work,  but  rightly  prevents  him  from  advising  the 
vigorous  and  ambitious  young  men  of  his  acquaintance 
to  enter  the  ministry.    The  country  ministry  will  not  be 
better  until  it  is  better  paid. 

One  of  the  urgent  needs  of  the  country  minister  in 
the  area  covered  by  this  investigation  is  contact  with 
a  world  larger  than  his  parish.  The  conditions  of  his 
work  make  necessary  a  greater  knowledge  of  facts 
and  methods  than  he  can  get  by  himself.  It  must  be 
made  easier  for  him  to  draw  from  the  fund  of  valuable 
experience  that  has  already  been  accumulated  upon 
various  phases  of  country  life,  and  to  keep  in  touch 
with  the  new  methods  which  are  developing  for  the 
work  of  the  country  parish.    These  needs  should  be 


50  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

met  and  supplied  in  part  by  the  employment  of  State 
or  County  secretaries  in  contact  both  with  the  country 
ministers  and  with  the  developments  of  rural  social 
service,  and  in  part  by  attendance  at  conferences 
and  summer  schools.  The  country  minister  too  often 
feels  lost  in  a  backwater  of  the  main  stream  of  prog- 
ress, and  sees  himself  as  engaged  in  a  solitary  struggle 
with  small,  discouraging,  and  unessential  problems, 
while,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  his  place  upon  the  stage 
of  civilization  is  very  near  the  center,  and  no 
one  has  a  better  right  than  he  to  all  the  enthusiasm 
of  those  who  are  employed  in  the  most  vital  of 
tasks. 

Church  Cooperation.  In  the  villages  of  Windsor  and 
Tompkins  counties,  the  more  numerous  the  churches 
the  greater  the  loss  in  attendance  in  the  last  twenty 
years.  In  these  over-churched  communities,  the  sup- 
port of  the  churches  is  obviously  more  difficult,  and  the 
religious  bodies  are  losing  ground  so  rapidly  that  for 
some  at  least  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  all  but 
one  in  each  community  will  become  extinct.  Like 
any  other  army,  the  Christian  church  can  most  easily 
be  defeated  in  detail.  Sectarian  rivalries  weaken  the 
churches.  Lacking  the  spirit  of  cooperation,  they 
hinder  each  other  rather  than  help,  and  their  standing  in 


REMEDIES  51 

the  community  is  lowered,  while  their  power  and  desire 
for  service  is  greatly  reduced. 

The  long  period  of  the  death  struggle  of  superfluous 
churches  presents  the  serious  problem  of  securing  a 
sound  community  life  in  the  face  of  dwindling  religious 
institutions.  Under  such  circumstances,  consolidation 
or  federation  of  the  churches  is  the  obvious  remedy.  To 
bring  it  about,  however,  is  seldom  easy.  In  nearly 
every  church  there  are  some  members  who  oppose  con- 
solidation, and  are  usually  able  to  prevent  it.  Their 
position  is  all  the  more  harmful  for  the  reason  that  for 
the  most  part  in  Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties  de- 
nominational divisions  have  ceased  to  be  matters  of 
principle  or  of  theological  difference,  and  have  become 
matters  of  social  grouping,  based  on  custom  or  associa- 
tion, on  petty  jealousies,  personal  hostihty,  and  the 
desire  to  retain  minor  church  offices. 

There  is  but  one  solution  for  the  problem  of  over- 
churching  which  seems  to  offer  reasonable  hope  in  the 
two  counties  concerned.  This  hes  along  the  line,  not 
of  doctrinal  union,  but  of  common  effort  in  the  cause 
of  the  common  welfare.  When  people  work  together 
for  a  better  community,  they  are  the  more  likely  to 
work  together  for  a  better  church.  Divisions  in  the 
churches  may  often  be  bridged  over  by  setting  the 


52  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

members  of  hostile  groups  working  together  for  the 
common  good. 

Organization  for  Social  Service.  The  country  churches 
.of  Windsor  and  Tompkins  counties  are  each  too  small 
as  units  of  organization  to  be  able  to  carry  on  the  work 
of  social  service  with  efficiency.  A  larger  and  more 
powerful  unit  is  necessary  before  the  churches  can 
take  their  reasonable  part  in  the  work  for  the  general 
welfare.  Just  what  form  such  an  organization  should 
take  may  be  open  to  discussion.  The  form  it  has  taken 
in  Vermont  is  described  on  page  53. 

Whatever  form  is  accepted  should  rest  on  the  prin- 
ciple that  the  needs  of  the  community  should  determine 
the  work  of  the  church.  Such  an  organization  must 
of  necessity  be  more  widely  extended  than  the  bound- 
aries of  village  or  township,  because  only  thus  can  the 
necessary  broader  view  be  acquired  or  the  necessary 
paid  experts  be  employed,  and  only  thus  is  a  policy 
or  plan  of  work  likely  to  be  adopted  and  continued  long 
enough  to  be  made  effective. 

One  of  the  important  results  of  church  organization 
for  social  service  is  that  the  work  becomes  more  varied 
in  character,  accordingly  appeals  to  people  of  a  greater 
variety  of  interests,  and  so  strengthens  the  church;  while 
the  church  in  action  gives  point  and  carrying  power  to 


ORGANIZATION  IN  VERMONT  53 

its  teaching,  and  makes  its  message'more  comprehensi- 
ble and  effective. 

It  is  hardly  to  be  questioned  that  the  church  is  the 
natural  body  to  lead  in  rural  social  service.  It  is  found 
everywhere,  the  doors  of  every  home  are  open  to  its 
ministers,  its  buildings  are  the  meeting  places  in  which 
men,  women,  and  children  are  accustomed  to  assemble, 
and  its  ministers  speak  to  some  of  the  people  at  least 
once  every  week.  The  country  life  movement  could  ill 
afford  to  neglect  the  cooperation  of  an  organization 
already  rooted  in  the  field  of  country  life.  In  Vermont 
at  least,  the  religious  bodies  have  already  done  enough 
to  make  it  clear  that  to  them  belongs  the  position  of 
leadership. 

II.   ORGANIZATION  IN  VERMONT 

The  most  significant  movement  in  church  organiza- 
tion in  Vermont  is  what  has  come  to  be  known  as  the 
Hartford  Forward  Movement,  which  owes  its  origin  to 
facts  disclosed  by  this  investigation.  The  pastor  of 
the  successful  church  described  in  Section  9  had  been 
in  charge  of  it  for  three  years  when  the  results  of  our 
investigation  made  him  aware  of  a  serious  decline  both 
of  his  own  church  and  the  churches  of  the  rest  of  Wind- 


54  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

sor  County.  Thereupon,  with  a  broader  and  clearer 
view,  he  began  to  study  the  needs  of  the  community, 
and  to  determine  the  most  effective  ways  to  supply 
them.  It  soon  became  evident  that  the  wants  of  his 
parish  could  not  be  met  by  themselves  alone,  but  that 
the  movement  must  extend  throughout  the  whole  town- 
ship. Later  on  even  the  township  was  seen  to  be  too 
small,  and  it  became  evident  that  to  be  successful  the 
movement  must  be  county-wide,  and  then  state-wide, 
that  persons  not  connected  with  the  church  must  be 
induced  to  take  part  in  it,  and  that  it  must  include  the 
cooperation  of  all  forces  working  for  social  betterment. 

Before  long  nearly  a  hundred  of  the  most  influential 
men  and  women  of  the  township,  organized  in  seven 
groups  of  public-spirited  citizens,  were  actively  engaged 
in  promoting  the  public  welfare,  while  each  of  the  seven 
formed  part  of  a  central  body.  These  groups  held 
themselves  responsible  for  the  promotion  of  better 
farming,  for  the  improvement  of  the  schools,  for  the 
organization  and  supervision  of  recreation,  for  uniting 
the  efforts  of  different  organizations  engaged  in  chari- 
table and  social  work,  for  making  the  town  more  attrac- 
tive, and  for  securing  the  reasonable  enforcement  of  the 
law. 

Part  of  the  work  of  the  Hartford  Forward  Movement 


ORGANIZATION  IN  VERMONT  55 

was  done  in  cooperation  with  the  Windsor  County 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  which  for  a  number  of  years  has  been  ac- 
tive in  the  county,  and  has  already  done  excellent 
service  in  making  the  occupation  of  the  farmer  more 
interesting  for  him  as  boy  and  man.  Public  apprecia- 
tion of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work  is  shown  by  the  increase 
in  its  annual  budget  from  $1,700  to  its  present  amount 
of  $6,000  with  eight  hundred  subscribers.  This  amount 
does  not  include  the  cooperative  assistance  of  the 
United  States  Government  in  paying  one-half  the  cost 
of  an  agricultural  expert,  nor  $500  per  year  given  by 
the  Grain  Growers  Association,  nor  $500  appropriated 
this  year  by  the  Legislature  of  Vermont  for  the  holding 
of  a  State  corn  show  for  which  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  re- 
sponsible. 

The  Windsor  County  Y.  M.  C.  A.  has  made  itself 
one  of  the  most  potent  factors  in  Vermont  for  the  im- 
provement of  agriculture,  while  in  its  work  with  boys, 
in  promoting  more  and  better  recreation,  and  in  its 
varied  program  of  social  service,  it  has  demonstrated, 
as  no  other  social  force  has  done,  both  the  need  and  the 
possibilities  of  county  organization. 

For  the  past  few  years  the  idea  of  making  a  better 
Vermont  has  been  agitated  through  the  State,  and  this 
agitation  increased  the  public  interest  in  the  Hartford 


56  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

Forward  Movement.  One  of  the  results  was  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Greater  Vermont  Association,  another 
was  the  formation  of  the  Bennington  County  Vermont 
Improvement  Association,  which  ultimately  adopted 
a  broad  program  of  general  betterment,  and  which, 
like  the  Windsor  County  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  receives  help 
from  the  U.  S.  Government  and  from  the  Grain  Growers 
Association.  Its  annual  budget,  including  these  con- 
tributions, is  about  $8,000,  while  the  total  expenditures 
in  the  county  due  to  its  initiative  aniount  this  year  to 
$25,000.  Under  the  leadership  of  this  association  the 
people  of  Bennington  County  are  being  rapidly  or- 
ganized into  township  leagues,  which  are  component 
parts  of  a  county  league  of  farmers,  whose  business  it 
is  to  increase  the  prosperity  of  the  county  through 
cooperation  in  producing  and  selling  crops,  and  in  buy- 
ing supplies. 

Chittenden  County  has  adopted  a  similar  organiza- 
tion, while  several  other  counties  in  Vermont  are  about 
to  employ  county  agricultural  experts.  Hampden 
County,  Massachusetts,  has  followed  the  same  lead, 
and  the  promoter  of  the  Hartford  Forward  Movement 
has  been  employed  for  its  work. 

We  have  seen  that  the  Hartford  Movement  began 
in  the  church,  but  spread  beyond  it  when  the  church 


ORGANIZATION  IN  VERMONT  57 

came  to  understand  that  not  one  of  the  interests  of 
the  community  were  foreign  to  it.  When  the  other 
country  churches  awake  to  the  same  reahzation,  the 
effect  will  be  to  strengthen  enormously  the  movement 
for  the  reorganization  of  country  life.  That  such  an 
awakening  is  imminent  is  indicated  by  the  broad  pro- 
gram just  adopted  by  the  Interchurch  Federation  of 
Vermont.  This  body  was  formed  seven  years  ago.  It 
includes  nearly  all  of  the  Protestant  churches  of  the 
State.  Until  191 2  its  principal  effort  was  to  persuade 
the  churches  to  consolidate,  or  live  together  as  good 
neighbors.  In  19 12,  however,  under  the  influence  of 
the  Hartford  Forward  Movement,  it  adopted  and  pub- 
lished the  following  remarkable  program,  through  which 
it  accepted  responsibihty  for  the  general  betterment  of 
conditions  in  Vermont. 

*'i.  We  propose  to  take  for  our  first  endeavor  the 
economic,  social  and  intellectual,  and  religious,  im- 
provement of  the  small  towns  of  the  State. 

"2.  We  pledge  our  help  to  communities  of  this  kind, 
especially  in  securing  for  them  an  efficient  religious 
leadership: 

*^(a)  By  the  promotion  of  summer  conferences  for 
instruction  and  inspiration  for  religious  work  in  the 
open  country. 


58  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

''  (b)  By  extension  work,  including  correspondence 
courses  in  the  country  church,  and  in  modern  agricul- 
ture. 

"3.  We  agree  to  outline  plans  for  the  uplift  of  certain 
districts,  to  assume  the  task  through  a  common  effort 
to  be  made  under  the  leadership  of  a  committee  to  be 
chosen  under  the  separate  churches  of  that  district,  and 
further  requesting  that  these  churches  become  respon- 
sible for  the  special  field  assigned,  and  labor  for  its 
uplift  by  all  possible  means,  but  including: 

"  (a)  The  approach  of  the  people  on  the  side  of  the 
work  whereby  they  earn  their  daily  bread,  and  the 
endeavor  to  stimulate  better  farming  and  better  living, 
so  that  Vermont  boys  may  realize  that  they  have  a 
chance  in  Vermont. 

"  (b)  The  organization  of  towns  for  recreation  and 
common  social  amusement  to  cure  the  ills  of  isolation 
and  neighborhood  jealousy. 

"4.  We  believe  that  each  religious  body  represented 
in  Verrfiont  should  work  first  for  the  welfare  of  Vermont, 
and  should  subordinate  its  own  promotion  to  that  end. 

"  5.  We  promise  to  lay  to  heart  the  condition  of  our 
rural  schools — teachers  underpaid  and  frequently 
changed,  insufficient  books  and  supplies,  inadequate 
buildings  and  grounds, — and  we  pledge  our  cooperation 


ORGANIZATION  IN  VERMONT  59 

in  any  movement  looking  to  the  equalizing  of  educa- 
tional advantages  between  country  and  city  children.'^ 

The  Interchurch  Federation  proposes,  through  the 
establishment  of  a  summer  school  and  conference  for 
ministers,  to  promote  the  cooperation  of  the  Protestant 
denominations  for  the  general  welfare,  and  there  is 
strong  hope  that  through  the  unifying  power  of  social 
service  the  concerted  action  of  all  Protestant  Christian 
■forces  in  Vermont  can  be  secured. 

Not  one  of  the  movements  here  enumerated  can  do 
its  best  work  alone.  Thus  it  is  doubtful  whether  the 
Hartford  Forward  Movement  can  be  permanently  suc- 
cessful without  the  support  and  reenforcement  of  cor- 
responding movements  in  the  County  and  State.  The 
Interchurch  Federation  of  Vermont,  in  its  turn  needs 
the  cooperation  and  assistance  of  the  church  on  a  na- 
tional scale.  The  success  of  the  movement  for  a  health- 
ier church  in  the  open  country  must  depend,  as  we  be- 
lieve this  investigation,  within  its  limits,  goes  far  to 
show,  on  a  working  alliance  of  the  churches  for  social 
service  throughout  the  United  States. 


II 

WINDSOR   COUNTY 


I.  THE  LOCALITY  AND  THE  PEOPLE 

Windsor  County  lies  just  south  of  the  center  of  Ver- 
mont along  the  Eastern  border  of  the  State.  North 
and  South  its  extent  is  about  fifty  miles;  East  and  West 
nearly  forty.  There  are  hills  everywhere,  roughest 
and  most  numerous  in  the  Western  part.  Its  many 
streams  run  southeasterly  into  the  Connecticut  River. 
Its  arable  soil  produces  good  crops  of  hay  and  of  forage 
corn  and  oats,  while  its  pastures  are  for  the  most  part 
fertile  and  well  adapted  to  dairying.  The  railroad  sta- 
tion nearest  the  center  of  the  county  is  about  170  miles 
from  Boston,  which  offers  one  of  the  best  markets  in 
the  United  States  for  agricultural  products.  In  summer 
the  climate  is  delightful.  The  winters  are  long  and  cold, 
but  the  atmosphere  dry  and  invigorating. 

Windsor  is  a  rural  county  and  agriculture  is  its  prin- 
cipal industry.  Its  largest  township  has  less  than  5,000 
people,  and  only  three  have  more  than  2,500.  Less 
than  half  its  townships  have  factories  of  any  kind. 
The  United  States  Census  reports  supply  the  following 
statement  of  changes  in  population. 

63 


64  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

The  settlement  of  the  county  began  after  the  close  of 
the  French  and  Indian  Wars  in  1760.  In  1790  there 
were  already  16,000  inhabitants.  These  increased  to 
27,000  in  1800,  and  to  more  than  40,000  in  1830.  From 
1850  to  1890  the  population  steadily  decHned.  From 
1890  until  1910  it  grew  from  31,706  to  33,625,  an  in- 
crease mainly  due  to  the  growth  of  the  manufacturing 
industries  in  Springfield,  Windsor,  and  other  towns. 

Among  the  causes  to  which  the  previous  decline  in 
population  was  due  are  the  fall  in  the  price  of  wool  in 
the  years  following  the  Civil  War,  competition  with  the 
free  lands  of  the  West  under  modern  conditions  of 
transportation,  agricultural  mining  of  the  soil  (due  to 
bad  methods  of  farming),  the  clearing  and  settlement  of 
lands  which  should  have  been  devoted  to  forestry 
rather  than  to  agriculture,  the  tendency  of  small  manu- 
facturing industries  to  give  way  before  the  larger  con- 
cerns of  the  cities,  and  the  superior  attractions  of  the 
larger  centers  of  population  for  young  men  and  young 
women. 

It  should  be  noted  that  a  part  of  the  loss  of  popu- 
lation is  probably  due  to  a  centralization  of  schools  and 
their  consequent  removal  to  a  greater  distance  from  the 
back  farms.  Just  as  the  modern  system  of  caring  for 
roads  often  results  in  the  neglect  of  the  back  roads, 


WINDSOR    COUNTY 


66  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

while  it  greatly  improves  the  main  highways,  so  cen- 
tralized schools  may  have  a  similar  result.  Children 
sent  to  them  are  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  super- 
vision of  their  parents,  who  often  object  to  having  them 
exposed  to  possible  bad  influences  in  the  village,  es- 
pecially during  the  noon  hour. 

Windsor  County  contains  24  townships  or  towns, 
which  are  not  villages  but  portions  of  the  county  gen- 
erally containing  villages,  of  which  one  township  or 
town  may  include  several.  The  4  townships  which 
have  not  declined  in  population  since  1840  contain  the 
largest  and  most  important  manufacturing  villages. 
All  the  strictly  agricultural  towns  have  lost  in  popula- 
tion. 

As  compared  with  other  States  the  population  of 
Vermont  is  of  an  exceptionally  pure  native  stock.  The 
county  was  settled  by  a  very  vigorous  class  of  farming 
people,  chiefly  from  Connecticut,  but  partly  also  from 
Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire.  For  more  than 
seventy  years  steady  streams  of  Vermonters  have 
gone  to  the  West  and  to  the  eastern  cities,  while  on  the 
other  hand  Vermont  has  had  a  smaller  immigration 
of  foreigners  than  most  of  the  other  New  England 
States,  and  Windsor  County  less  than  most  of  the  other 
counties  of  Vermont.     The  people  who  have  moved 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— THE  LOCALITY  67 

away  from  Vermont  have  usually  been  of  so  excellent  a 
quality  that  their  emigration  has  resulted  in  a  most 
serious  loss  to  the  State.  Windsor  County  is  now 
suffering  from  this  long  continued  drain  upon  its  vi- 
tality, a  drain  which  is  not  supplied  by  the  substitution 
of  an  inferior  population  for  the  former  vigorous  ag- 
gressive inhabitants,  whose  ideals,  ambitions,  and 
abiUties  were  of  a  high  order. 

The  close  relation  between  the  prosperity  of  the 
country  people  and  the  condition  of  the  country  church 
is  self-evident.  There  can  be  no  progressive  country 
church  where  agriculture  is  decadent.  Therefore  some 
information  as  to  the  tendencies  in  agriculture  is  es- 
sential. 

The  surface  of  Vermont  is  rough  and  hilly,  but  no 
State  in  the  Union  has  so  many  cattle  per  acre,  or  in 
proportion  to  population.  In  the  fertility  of  its  soil 
it  compares  favorably  with  other  New  England  States, 
yet  the  Census  figures  for  1900  and  19 10  show  little 
progress  in  the  agriculture  of  Windsor  County.  The 
total  acreage  of  farms  in  1900  was  547,817,  and  in  1910, 
537,912,  or  a  loss  of  about  10,000  acres.  The  total 
acreage  in  crops  in  the  ten  years  fell  off  slightly.  There 
were  58  more  farms  in  1900  than  1910,  more  farms  of 
less  than  50  acres  in  size,  less  farms  of  from  50  to  200 


68  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

acres,  with  an  increase  in  the  number  of  still  larger 
farms.  On  the  other  hand,  the  value  of  farm  land  and 
farm  buildings  increased  $3,559,958  during  this  ten 
year  period,  although  if  allowance  is  made  for  the  pur- 
chasing power  of  the  dollar  the  increase  was  less  than 
half  of  that  sum. 

In  an  agricultural  township  selected  as  typical  the 
assessed  property  continuously  declined  in  value  from 
1870  to  1900,  but  since  1902  has  been  on  the  rise.  Dur- 
ing the  past  five  years  farms  have  been  sold  at  greatly 
advanced  prices.  This  fact,  however,  does  not  neces- 
sarily indicate  an  increased  agricultural  prosperity,  nor 
a  larger  income  to  the  farmer. 

In  portions  of  the  county  land  is  farmed  improvi- 
dently,  while  the  removal  elsewhere  of  enterprising 
families  has  doubtless  had  as  unfavorable  an  effect  upon 
agriculture  as  it  has  had  on  the  church.  But  while  the 
agricultural  situation  is  not  altogether  satisfactory,  it 
will  doubtless  improve,  in  part  because  of  the  increasing 
demand  for  farm  produce  in  the  city  markets. 

Economic  conditions  alone,  however  favorable  to 
agriculture,  will  not,  as  we  know,  suffice  to  keep  a  fair 
proportion  of  the  best  young  people  and  the  best  fam- 
ilies on  the  farm.  Good  returns  for  farm  products 
must  be  supplemented  by  good  schools,  by  an  attrac-. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— THE  LOCALITY  69 

tive  social  life  and  an  efficient  church,  or  the  process 
of  rural  decay,  leading  directly  to  national  inefficiency 
and  decline,  will  continue  unchecked.  Good  industrial 
and  social  conditions,  combined  with  an  intelligent 
enthusiasm  for  the  country  and  for  the  farm,  can  and 
will  counteract  the  lure  of  the  city.  Without  them 
there  is  Httle  hope  that  men  and  women  who  will  in- 
sure the  conservation  of  soil  fertility  and  maintain 
efficient  schools  and  efficient  churches  can  be  induced 
to  live  in  the  open  country. 


70 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


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WINDSOR  COUNTY— THE  LOCALITY 

TABLE  2 

Number   of  Inhabitants   in 


71 


THE  Townships  of  Windsor 
County  in  1910  Compared  with  the  Years  of  Their  Maxi- 
mum Population 


County  and 
Townships 


Year  of 
Maximum 
Population 


County 1830 

Andover 1800 

Baltimore.  . . .  1810 

Chester 1820 

Reading 1820 

Weathersfield  1820 

Hartland ....  1820 

Barnard 1830 

Norwich 1830 

Pomfret 1830 

Sharon 1830 

Windsor 1830 

Bridgewater.  .  1840 

Plymouth.  . . .  1840 

Royal  ton  ....  1840 

Stockbridge  . .  1840 

Weston 1840 

Woodstock.  . .  1840 

West  Windsor  1850 

Rochester.  . . .  i860 

Cavendish  .  . .  1870 

Bethel 1910 

Hartford 1910 

Ludlow 1910 

Springfield  . . .  1910 


Maximum 
Population 


40,623 


Population 
in  1910 


33,625 


Decline  per 
cent  from 
Maximum 


17 


1,016 

234 

77 

207 

54 

74 

2,493 

1,784 

28 

1,603 

530 

67 

2,301 

1,092 

S3 

2,552 

1,316 

48 

1,881 

737 

61 

2,316 

1,253 

46 

1,867 

709 

62 

1,459 

585 

60 

3,134 

2,407 

23 

1,363 

874 

36 

1,417 

482 

66 

1,917 

1,452 

24 

1,418 

737 

48 

1,032 

632 

39 

3,315 

2,545 

23 

1,002 

567 

43 

1,507 

1,317 

13 

1,823 

1,203 

34 

1,943 

1,943 

4,173 

4,173 

2,215 

2,215 

4,784 

4,784 

•• 

72  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

2.   MEMBERSHIP 

Membership  data  are  available  for  fifty-five  churches 
for  the  years  1888  and  1908.  These  data  show  an  in- 
crease from  4,688  in  1888  to  4,889  in  1908  or  4.28  per 
cent.  The  United  States  Census  gives  the  membership 
for  1890  as  6,130  and  for  1906  as  6,422,  or  an  increase 
of  4.8  per  cent  in  sixteen  years. 

No  membership  data  for  1888  were  found  for  the 
churches  of  the  Universalist  denomination.  The  pub- 
lished figures  for  several  of  the  Methodist  Churches 
include  members  of  other  churches  outside  of  the 
county  with  which  they  are  yoked.  As  there  was  no 
way  of  determining  what  proportion  of  these  members 
were  in  the  churches  of  Windsor  County  it  was  neces- 
sary to  omit  them  all. 

In  Table  3,  the  figures  are  given  for  the  individual 
churches  and  charges. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— MEMBERSHIP 


73 


TABLE  3 

Membership  of  the  Individual  Chxjrches  (Grouped  by 
Denominations  and  Townships)  for  the  Years  1888  and 
1908  and  the  Percentage  of  Gain  or  Loss 


Members 


1908 


Per  cent 

Gain  (+)  0 

Loss  ( — ) 


Totals 4,688 

Springfield  Congregational 283 

Hartford  "        182 

Quechee  "        loi 

West  Hartford  "       71 

Wilder  "        21 

Woodstock  "       211 

Windsor  "       128 

Ludlow  "        108 

Bethel  "        85 

Chester  "        160 

So.  Royalton  "        61 

Royalton  "        73 

Hartland  "        65 

Rochester  "       118 

Norwich  "        187 

Weathersfield  Ctr."        54 

Bridgewater  "        43 

Stockbridge  "       48 

Pomfret  "       31 

Weston  "       37 

Sharon  "        92 

Plymouth  "        17 

Springfield  Baptist    132 

Windsor  "         143 

Ludlow  "         216 

Bethel  "         18 

Chester  "         iS7 

Cavendish  "         46 

Weathersfield  '  "          85 


4-     4.2J 


340 

+  20 

176 

—  3 

79 

—  22 

70 

—  I 

67 

+  219 

176 

—  17 

no 

—  14 

176 

+  63 

76 

—  II 

178 

+  II 

96 

+  57 

59 

—  19 

69 

+  6 

86 

—  27 

174 

—  7 

46 

—  IS 

56 

+  30 

25 

-48 

74 

+  139 

30 

—  19 

71 

—  23 

23 

+  35 

120 

—  9 

74 

-48 

224 

+  4 

9 

—  50 

169 

+  8 

76 

+  6s 

100 

+  18 

74 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   3    (Continued) 


Members 


1888 


1908 


Per  cent 

Gain  (-{-)  or 

Loss  ( — ) 


Weston                 Baptist 67  42  —37 

Sharon                   "         54  iS  —  72 

Reading                 "         62  9  —  85 

Andover                 "         28  26  —    7 

Springfield      Episcopal 9  53  +489 

White  River  Jet.   "          37  49  +32 

Woodstock             "         48  90  +88 

Windsor                 "         70  83  +19 

Bethel                     "          46  43  —    7 

Chester                  "         77  43  —  44 

Royalton                "          26  19  —  27 

Springfield   Methodist  Episcopal  193  234  +21 

White  River  Jet.  1       .,  ,       ^ 

Quechee  |                                    ^4  1S2  +105 

Woodstock  "                           173  152  —  12 

Windsor  "                            36  100  +178 

Bethel  "                             ..  59 

Ludlow  "                            76  102  +  34 

So.  Royalton  "                            81  93  +  i5 

Hartland  "                              76  36  —  53 

Rochester  "                           142  77  —  46 

Cavendish  "                            48  5©  +     4 

Reading          I  « 

Weathersfieldj  ^^  ^^  ~  '^ 

Barnard  "                             91  99+9 

Weston  "                            72  78+8 

West  Windsor  **                            65  loi  +  55 


3.  ATTENDANCE 

The  final  results  of  the  investigation  show  a  decline 
in  the  number  of  regular  and  frequent  attendants,  or 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE  75 

those  attending  services  on  at  least  one  Sunday  in  three, 
from  8,003  in  1888  to  5,537  in  1908,  or  nearly  31  per  cent. 
After  making  deductions  for  the  decrease  in  the  Prot- 
estant population,  the  relative  loss  is  29.4  per  cent. 
More  than  26  per  cent  of  the  Protestant  population 
attended  church  regularly  or  frequently  in  the  year  1888 
and  less  than  19  per  cent  in  the  year  1908.  The  loss 
for  the  individual  townships  was  from  11  per  cent  in 
the  town  of  Pomfret  to  75  per  cent  in  the  town  of  An- 
dover.  The  change  relatively  to  the  Protestant  popu- 
lation varied  from  a  gain  of  nearly  14  per  cent  in  the 
town  of  Pomfret  to  a  loss  of  58  per  cent  in  the  town  of 
Andover. 

To  determine  what  were  the  figures  which  would 
show  the  loss  in  attendance  in  its  relation  to  the  Prot- 
estant population,  it  was  necessary  to  find  not  only 
the  figures  for  the  total  population  in  1888  and  in  1908 
but  also  for  the  non-Protestant  population. 

According  to  the  U.  S.  Religious  Census  there  were 
in  Windsor  County,  in  1890,  1,470  Catholics  while  in 
1906  there  were  3,430.*  Using  these  figures  as  a  basis 
for  computation  it  was  found  that  there  was  a  relative 

*  Note.  The  actual  numbers  given  in  the  census  reports  are  1,250  for 
1890  and  2,916  for  1906;  but  these  numbers  exclude  children  under  a 
certain  age,  or  about  15  per  cent  of  the  CathoUc  population. 


76  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

loss  in  the  attendance  of  the  Protestant  churches  of 
27  per  cent.  But  it  was  learned  that  the  number  of 
Catholics  reported  in  the  census  for  1890  must  have 
been  very  much  too  small.  The  figures  given  included 
only  those  who  rented  pews  and  members  of  their 
families.  In  view  of  this  fact  it  was  thought  advisable 
to  get  more  accurate  information  as  to  the  number  of 
Catholics  in  the  counties  in  the  two  years  compared. 
To  this  end  the  Hsts  of  the  families  of  the  county  for 
1888  and  1908  were  used  to  determine  the  number  of 
Catholics  in  the  townships  in  each  of  these  years,  in 
consultation  with  CathoHcs  who  resided  in  the  different 
towns  in  each  of  the  two  years.  Accurate  information 
was  thus  obtained  as  to  the  Catholic  and  other  non- 
Protestant  part  of  the  population. 

It  was  learned  in  this  way  that  there  were  at  least 
six  hundred  more  Catholics  in  the  county  in  1890  than 
were  reported  in  the  census.  In  six  of  the  smaller  towns 
the  exact  figures  could  not  be  obtained,  but  the  people 
interviewed  agreed  either  that  the  number  was  so  small 
as  to  be  a  negligible  quantity  or  that  the  number  was 
less  in  1908  than  it  was  in  1888.  Whatever  possible 
errors  there  may  be,  they  must  be  such  as  to  make  the 
final  estimate  of  29  per  cent,  (the  relative  loss  in  at- 
tendance in  Protestant  churches,  allowance  being  made 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


77 


for  changes  in  Protestant  population)  less  rather  than 
greater  than  the  actual  relative  loss. 


TABLE  4 

Percentage  of  Protestant  Population  Attending  Church 
IN  1888  and  in  1908  One-third  of  the  Time  or  More 


Regular  and  frequent  attendants,  1888 

1908 

8,003 
5,537 
2,466 





.. 

Loss  in  regular  and  frequent  attendants  in  twenty  years 
Loss  per  cent  in  regular  and  frequent  attendants  in 
twenty  years 

31 
29 
26 

Relative  loss  per  cent  after  making  deductions  for  de- 
crease in  Protestant  population 

Per  cent  of  Protestant  population  attending  church  regu- 
larly or  frequently  in  1888 

Per  cent  of  Protestant  population  attending  church  regu- 
larly or  frequently  in  1908 

19 

78  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

TABLE  5 

Showing  How  Relative  Loss  in  Attendance  Is  Reckoned 

Non-Protestant  population,  1888 2,040  ^ 

"                        "          1908 3.560  ^ 

Total  population  in  county,  1880 35,196  ^ 

"              "          "       "         1890 31,7062 


1900 32,225 


"  "  "      "         1910 33,625  2 

Gain  in  total  population,  1900-1910 1,400 

"    "      "  "  per  year 140 

Loss  in  population,  1880-1890 3,490 

"      "  "  per  year 349 

Estimated  total  population,  1888 32,404 ' 

1908 33,345  * 

Protestant  population,  1888 30,364 

1908 29,785 

Protestant  attendance,  1888 8,003  ^ 

No.  of  Protestant  attendants  in  1888  constituted  following  per 

cent  of  Protestant  population 26,356  ^ 

Normal  Protestant  attendance  in  1908  (26.356%  of  29,785)  .  .  7,850  ^ 

Actual  Protestant  attendance,  1908 5,537  ^ 

Loss  per  cent  in  attendance  from  1888  to  1908  relative  to 

Protestant  population 29.47  * 

^  Determined  by  the  work  of  the  investigation  as  previously  described. 

2  According  to  U.  S.  Census  reports. 

'  3 1,706+ (349x2)  =  32,404- 

*  33,625— (i40X2)  =  33,345. 

^  The  attendance  in  1888  is  assumed  to  be  normal. 

"  7850—5537 

=29.47%. 

780 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


79 


In  Table  6,  showing  the  relative  losses  in  attendance 
in  the  individual  townships,  the  same  methods  of  es- 
timating are  used  as  for  the  county  in  Table  $. 


TABLE  6 
Losses  in  Attendance  in  Individual  Towns 


Township 


County 


Andover  .  .  . 

Barnard 

Bethel 

Bridgewater 
Cavendish.  . 

Chester 

Hartford 

Hartland 

Ludlow 

Norwich 

Plymouth 

Pomfret 

Reading 

Rochester  .  . .  . 

Royalton  . . .  . 

Sharon 

Springfield  .  .  . 

Stockbridge  . 

Weathersfield. 

Weston 

West  Windsor 

Windsor  .... 

Woodstock  . . 


Attendants 


i888      1908 


8,003     5.537 


61 
184 
531 
166 
230 
434 
856 
360 
536 
367 

80 
no 
170 
345 
382 
igi 
794 
326 
310 
225 
108 
438 
799 


IS 

118 

347 

86 

163 

363 

578 

207 

448 

227 

37 

98 

74 

181 

333 

lOI 

668 
143 
198 
90 
92 
388 
582 


Loss 
Per 
Cent 


31 


76 
36 
35 
48 
29 
16 
32 
43 
16 
38 
54 
II 
S6 
48 
13 
47 
16 
56 
36 
60 
IS 


Population 


890      1910 


418 

918 

1,448 

1,124 

1,172 

1,789 

3,740 

1,393 

1,768 

1,304 

75S 

86s 

749 

1,257 

1,433 

737 

2,881 

894 

1,174 

864 

S70 

1,844 

2,S4S 


234 
737 
1,943 
874 
1,203 
1,784 
4,173 
1,316 

2,215 

1,253 

482 

709 

530 

1,317 

i,4S2 

585 

4,784 

737 

1,092 

632 

567 

2,407 

2,545 


Estimated 
Population 


1888      1908 


Per  Cent  of 
Population 

who  were 
Attendants 

in  1888 


447 

973 

1,497 

1,166 

1,193 

1,810 

3,583 

1,434 

1,815 

1,337 

819 

920 

790 

1,278 

1,458 

792 

2,934 

940 

1,210 

889 

594 

1,912 

2,599 


262* 

758 

1,877 

894 

1,233 

1,782 

4,102 

1,321 

2,180 

1,263 

515 

723 

SS4 

1,304 

1,447 

610 

4,SI4 

7S4 

1,076 

657 

SS6 

2,349 

2,547 


13.6s 
18.9 
3S-S 
14.2 
19-3 
24. 
23. 
25. 
29. 
27. 
9- 
12. 
21. S 
27. 
26.2 
24.1 
27. 
34.7 
25.6 
25.3 
18.3 
22.9 
30.7 


•  In  estimating  numbers  in  this  column  the  figures  in  Table  i  were  used. 


8o 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE  6   {Continued) 


Township 

*Nor- 
mal 
No. 
At- 
tend- 
ants 
1908 

Per  Cent 
Gain  or 
Loss  Rel- 
ative to 
Total 
Popula- 
tion 

Non- 
Protestant 
Population 

Protestant 
Population 

Per  Cent 
of  Prot- 
estant 
Popula- 
tion who 
were  At- 
tendants 
in  1888 

**  Nor- 
mal 
At- 
tend- 

1888 

1908 

i888 

1908 

ants 
1908 

County 

2,040 

3.560 

.... 

Andover 

Barnard 

Bethel 

Bridgewater  . . 
Cavendish.  . . . 

Chester 

Hartford 

Hartland 

Ludlow 

Norwich 

Plymouth 

Pomfret 

Reading 

Rochester 

Royal  ton 

Sharon 

Sprmgfield . . . 
Stockbndge  . . 
Weathersfield  . 

Weston 

West  Windsor 

Windsor 

Woodstock  . . . 

36 
143 
666 
127 
238 
428 
980 
332 
643 
347 
SO 
87 
119 
352 
379 
147 
1,219 
262 
275 
166 

lOI 

538 
782 

-58 
—17 
-48 
—32 
—32 
—IS 
—41 
-38 
—30 
—35 
—26 
+  13 
-38 
—49 
—12 
—31 
—45 
—45 
—28 
-46 
—  9 
—28 
—26 

10 

81 

55 

553 
135 
281 

12 
38 

40 
319 

35 

319 
162 

10 

50 

208 

65 

22 

990 

14s 

419 

32 

62 

36 

24 

812 

S8 
35 

321 

271 

437 

1,416 

1,138 

3,030 
1,299 
1,534 

1,266 

1,420 

752 

2,61s 

1,210 
854 

1,593 
2,437 

2S2 

1,669 

1,168 

3,112 
1,176 
1,761 

.... 

.... 

.... 
1,242 
1,411 
586 
3,702 

.'.ois 

622 

2,028 
2,276 

13.96 

37-5 

20.21 

28.2s 
27.71 
34-94 

27.2s 
26.9 
25.4 
30.36 

2s".6' 
26.35 

27. 5 
32.79 

35 

626 

236 
879 
879 
326 
6iS 

338 

380 

149 

1,124 

261 
164 

558 
746 

•  Per  cent  of  total  population  in  1908  equal  to  per  cent  of  total  population 
who  were  attendants  in  i888. 

**  Per  cent  of  Protestant  population  in  1908  equal  to  per  cent  of  Protestant 
population  who  were  attendants  in  1888. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 
TABLE  6   {Continued) 


8l 


Township 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent  in 
Relation  to 
Protestant 
Population 

Township 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent  in 
Relation  to 
Protestant 
Population 

County 

—29 
—57 
—17 
—45 
—32 
—31 
—15 
—34 
—37 
—27 
-35 
—26 

Pomfret 

+13 
-38 
—46 

Rochester 

Bethel 

—32 
—41 
—45 
—24 
—45 
—  9 
—30 

Cavendish 

Springfield 

Chester 

Stockbridge 

Hartford 

Weathersfield 

Hartland 

Weston 

Ludlow. . . 

West  Windsor 

Windsor 

Norwich 

Plymouth 

Woodstock 

TABLE  7 

Attendance   of   Individual   Churches   by   Denominations 
AND  Townships 


Regular  and  fre-  Gain  {,+) 
quent  attendants  or  Loss  (— ) 
1888  1908         Per  cent 


Totals 8,003 


S.S37 


31 


Springfield 

Hartford 

Quechee 

West  Hartford 

Wilder 

Woodstock 

Windsor 


Congregational . 


317 

200 

—  37 

248 

153 

-38 

121 

73 

—  40 

92 

64 

—  30 

46 

61 

+  33 

194 

163 

—  16 

196 

73 

-63 

82 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   7    {Continued) 


Regular  and  fre- 
quent attendants 
1888  1908 


Gain  (+) 

or  Loss  ( — ) 

Per  cent 


Ludlow 

Bethel 

Chester 

So.  Royalton 

Royalton 

Hartland 

Rochester 

Norwich 

Weathersfield  Ctr. 

Weathersfield  Bow 

Bridgewater 

Stockbridge 

Pomfret 

Weston 

Sharon 

Plymouth 

Springfield     Baptist 

Windsor 

Ludlow 

Bethel 

Chester 

Cavendish 

Weathersfield 

Weston 

Sharon 

Reading 

Andover 

Springfield 

White  River  Jet 

Woodstock 

Windsor 

Bethel 

Chester 

Royalton 

Norwich 


Congregational . 


Episcopal. 


113 

127 

+  12 

130 

62 

—  52 

177 

152 

—  14 

133 

141 

+  6 

98 

88 

—  10 

94 

59 

—  37 

137 

75 

—  45 

244 

195 

—  20 

42 

14 
25 

-  67 

49 

36 

—  27 

58 

40 

—  31 

108 

98 

—  9 

43 

26 

—  40 

102 

73 

—  28 

63 

23 

-63 

6S 

77 

+  18 

119 

63 

—  47 

198 

133 

—  33 

12 

17 

+  42 

154 

105 

—  32 

73 

63 

—  14 

100 

58 

—  42 

81 

22 

—  73 

62 

28 

—  55 

60 

23 

—  62 

61 

15 

—  75 

25 

53 

+  112 

27 

44 

+  63 

109 

149 

+  37 

57 

72 

+  26 

79 

54 

—  32 

61 

40 

—  34 

32 

12 

—  62 

12 

II 

—  8 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 

TABLE   7    (Continued) 

Regular  and  fre- 
quent attendants 
1888  1908 


83 


Gain  (+) 

or  Loss  { — ) 

Per  Cent 


Cavendish  Episcopal 

Springfield  Meth,  Epis. 

White  River  Jet. 

Quechee 

Wilder 

Woodstock 

Windsor 

Bethel 

Ludlow 

So.  Royalton 

Hartland 

No.  Hartland 

Rochester 

Norwich 

Cavendish 

Weathersfield 

Gaysville 

Stony  Brook 

Barnard 

East  Barnard 

Weston 

Reading 

West  Windsor 

Springfield  Universal 

White  River  Jet. 

Woodstock 

Ludlow 

Bethel 

Chester 

Hartland 

Rochester 

Cavendish 

Gaysville 

Reading 

Sharon 


17 



191 

194 

+  2 

126 

91 

—  28 

S3 

37 

SI 

+  38 

134 

85 
100 

—  37 

134 

159 

+  19 

96 

106 

+  10 

119 

92 

—  23 

88 

S4 

—  39 

SI 

24 

—  53 

I2S 

63 

—  50 

III 

21 

—  81 

71 

63 

—  II 

34 

37 

+  9 

33 

16 

—  S2 

114 

18 

-84 

136 

61 

—  55 

48 

S7 

+  19 

lOI 

42 

-  58 

64 

22 

—  66 

108 

92 

—  IS 

154 

128 

—  17 

106 

41 

—  61 

130 

40 

-69 

129 

82 

-36 

176 

S5 

-69 

42 

66 

+  57 

127 

70 

—  45 

83 

43 

-48 

69 

37 

-46 

54 

33 

—  39 

46 

29 

—  37 

27 

.... 

84  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

TABLE   7    {Continued) 


Regular  and  f re-  Gain  (+) 
quent  attendants  or  Loss  { — ) 
1888  1890       per  Cent 


80 

+  21 

16 

—  62 

so 

—  57 

12 

—  14 

36 

-46 

14 

—  18 

26 

—  41 

64 

—  52 

Woodstock  Christian     174              107           —  39 

Windsor            Unitarian 66 

Springfield  Advent 42 

Bridgewater     "      117 

Taftsville            Union 14 

Stockbridge        Union  (Univ.  &  Meth.)  67 

Pomfret                    "            "            "  2 

Plymouth  Notch     "            "            "  17 

So.  Woodstock        "            "            "  44 

Ascutneyville           "  (Cong'l  &  Meth.)  134 


Records  of  Attendance.  The  tendency  for  church  at- 
tendance to  decline  is  shown  also  by  the  records  of 
counted  congregations.  Records  for  more  than  one 
year  were  found  in  the  case  of  34  churches.  These 
records  appear  in  Table  8,  in  the  last  column  of  which 
the  figures  are  reduced  to  percentages,  1888  being  taken 
as  the  index  year. 

From  this  table  it  appears  that  reckoning  from  1870, 
or  the  nearest  year  following  for  which  a  record  exists, 
only  9  churches  out  of  34  gained  in  attendance.  In 
the  case  of  most  of  these  9  the  records  cover  a  period 
of  a  few  years  only.  In  the  case  of  5  they  do  not 
extend  later  than  1882.  Reckoning  from  1888  or  the 
nearest  years  preceding  or  following  for  which  attend- 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


8S 


ance  was  recorded,  only  4  indicate  a  gain  whereas  20 
show  a  loss. 

The  figures  of  this  table  are  used  as  the  basis  of  Dia- 
gram I,  pages  92-97. 


TABLE  8 
Records  or  Attendance 


Percentage 

Name  of  Church 

Year 

Attendance 

of  Attend- 
ance in 
1888 

Bridgewater  Congregational 

1870 

80 

123 

1877 

150 

231 

1880 

80 

123 

1887 

80 

123 

1888 

65 

100 

1890 

90 

139 

189s 

91 

140 

1900 

100 

IS4 

1904 

SO 

77 

Stockbridge  Congregational 

1870 

100 

167 

1875 

53, 

88 

1880 

SO 

83 

1885 

SO 

83 

1888 

60 

100 

1890 

SO 

83 

189s 

49 

82 

1900 

29 

48 

1904 

27 

4S 

1907 

37 

62 

1908 

40 

67 

Andover  Baptist 

1870 

70 

175 

1874 

60 

ISO 

86 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   8   {Continued) 


Percentage 

Name  of  Church 

Year 

Attendance 

of  Attend- 
ance in 
1888 

Andover  Baptist 

1888 

40 

100 

1890 

36 

90 

1895 

35 

88 

1900 

40 

100 

190S 

30 

75 

Hartford  Congregational 

1870 

220 

138 

1874 

22s 

141 

1880 

176 

110 

1885 

190 

119 

1888 

160 

100 

1890 

206 

129 

190S 

108 

67 

1909 

99 

62 

Hartland  Congregational 

1870 

III 

139 

1876 

65 

81 

1881 

70 

88 

1885 

75 

94 

1888 

80 

100 

1889 

90 

113 

1890 

80 

100 

189s 

75 

94 

1900 

65 

81 

1905 

67 

84 

' 

1908 

40 

50 

1909 

40 

50 

Springfield  Congregational 

1870 

307 

140 

1875 

310 

141 

1880 

270 

123 

1888 

220 

100 

1901 

205 

93 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


87 


TABLE   8   {Continued) 


Percentage 

Name  of  Church 

Year 

Attendance 

of  Attend- 
ance in 
1888 

Springfield  Congregational 

1904 

187 

85 

1910 

138* 

63 

Reading  Baptist 

1888 

60 

100 

1895 

56 

93 

1898 

45 

75 

1900 

40 

67 

1905 

24 

40 

Cavendish  Baptist 

1888 

75 

100 

1890 

68 

91 

1895 

35 

47 

1900 

40 

53 

1905 

30 

40 

Windsor  Baptist 

1888 

160 

100 

189s 

100 

63 

1900 

60 

38 

1906 

49 

31 

Weston  Congregational 

1870 

60 

100 

187s 

75 

125 

1880 

40 

67 

188s 

95 

158 

1888 

60 

100 

1890 

56 

93 

189s 

80 

133 

1900 

70 

117 

190S 

40 

67 

1909 

40 

67 

Ludlow  Methodist  Episcopal 

1888 

75** 

100 

*  Counted  September  igio — February  191 1. 
**  Counted  last  six  months  of  1888  and  1908. 


ss 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   8   (Continued) 


Percentage 

Name  of  Church 

Year 

Attendance 

of  Attend- 
ance in 
1888 

Ludlow  Methodist  Episcopal 

1889 

89 

119 

1908 

74* 

99 

Weathersfield  Baptist 

1888 

75 

100 

1893 

54 

72 

So.  Royalton  Congregational 

1868 

75 

83 

1870 

85 

94 

187s 

80 

89 

1880 

102 

113 

188s 

90 

100 

1888 

90 

100 

■ 

1890 

95 

106 

1892 

98 

109 

Bethel  Congregational 

1870 

67 

74 

187s 

60 

67 

1880 

80 

89 

1886 

82 

91 

1888 

90 

100 

1889 

100 

III 

1890 

100 

III 

1891 

85 

94 

Plymouth  Congregational 

1870 

75 

214 

1876 

75 

214 

188s 

35 

100 

1890 

35 

100 

1896 

38 

109 

1900 

32 

91 

1906 

32 

91 

1909 

45 

129 

*  Counted  last  six  months  of  1888  and  1908. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 
TABLE  8   (Continued) 


89 


Percentage 

Name  of  Church 

Year 

Attendance 

of  Attend- 
ance in 
1888 

Windsor  Congregational 

1870 

180 

162 

187s 

140 

126 

1880 

123 

III 

1882 

ISO 

135 

1892 

85 

77 

189s 

100 

90 

1900 

60 

54 

1904 

60 

54 

1906 

49 

44 

East  Weathersfield  Cong'l 

1867 

80 

146 

1869 

60 

109 

1871 

70 

127 

1873 

8S 

155 

1900 

31 

56 

1901 

23 

42 

White  River  Junction  Univ. 

1903 

53 

70 

1904 

37 

49 

1908 

31 

41 

1909 

23 

31 

Woodstock  Congregational 

1870 

230 

146 

187s 

175 

III 

1880 

167 

106 

1908 

135 

85 

1909 

X37 

87 

Weathersfield  Congregational 

1870 

60 

80 

1873 

SO 

67 

1876 

SO 

67 

1880 

65 

87 

1889 

75 

100 

1890 

56 

75 

90 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   8   {Continued:) 


Percentage 

Name  of  Church 

Year 

Attendance 

of  Attend- 
ance in 
1888 

Weathersfield  Congregational 

1895 

51 

68 

1900 

31 

41 

East  Bethel  Baptist 

1872 

60 

133 

1880 

50 

III 

i88s 

48 

107 

1890 

30 

67 

1894 

40 

89 

Norwich  Congregational 

1870 

194 

146 

187s 

206 

155 

1880 

180 

135 

1882 

140 

105 

Ave.  1889-1903 

123 

92 

Pomfret  Congregational 

1867 

98 

140 

1869 

IIS 

164 

1870 

75 

107 

187s 

70 

100 

1880 

75 

107 

1882 

75 

107 

Royalton  Congregational 

1870 

125 

176 

1874 

75 

106 

1880 

108 

152 

1882 

76 

107 

Rochester  Meth.  Epis. 

1901 

85 

100 

1902 

80 

94 

190S 

63 

74 

1907 

60 

71 

1908 

72 

85 

1909 

55 

65 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 
TABLE   8  {Continued) 


91 


Percentage 

Name  of  Church 

Year 

Attendance 

of  Attend- 
ance in 
1888 

Chester  Congregational 

1870 

220 

133 

1875 

150 

91 

1880 

i8s 

112 

1882 

I7S 

106 

Sharon  Baptist 

1871 

33 

66 

1875 

55 

no 

1880 

60 

120 

1885 

85 

170 

1887 

50 

100 

1890 

65 

130 

1894 

40 

80 

Windsor  Episcopal 

189s 

53 

93 

1900 

50 

88 

1905 

41 

72 

1907 

SI 

90 

Weston  Baptist 

1883 

40 

89 

1896 

50 

III 

1900 

35 

78 

1905 

SO 

III 

Ascutnejrville  Congregational 

1871 

80 

86 

1875 

75 

81 

1880 

125 

134 

1882 

93 

100 

Sharon  Congregational 

1870 

75 

107 

1875 

80 

114 

1880 

85 

121 

1881 

80 

114 

1882 

75 

107 

92 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   8    {Continued) 


Name  of  Church 


Percentage 

TT  *.A     3  of  Attend- 

Year  Attendance 

ance  tn 


Rochester  Congregational 


Ludlow  Congregational 


Quechee  Congregational 


1870 

108 

108 

187s 

105 

los 

1880 

89 

89 

1882 

117 

117 

1870 

80 

89 

1875 

los 

117 

1880 

82 

91 

1882 

90 

100 

1870 

75 

75 

1875 

150 

ISO 

1880 

120 

120 

1882 

130 

130 

DIAGRAM    I 

Records  of  Attendance 

The  figures  at  the  left  of  the  cuts  indicate  percentages  of  the 
average  attendance  in  the  year  1888,  while  the  figures  at  the 
bottom  indicate  the  years. 

250 


200 


150 


100 


50 


A 

/ 

/   1 

n/ 

■^ 

\ 

\ 

1870      80        90       1900     1910 

BRIDGEWATER 

CONGREGATIONAL 


150 
100 

60 

0 

V 

V^ 

-y\ 

A 

/ 

"^ 

1810       80        90        r900     1910 

STOCKBRIDGE 

CONGREGATIONAL 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


93 


DIAGRAM    I    {Continued) 
too 


1870      80        90       1900     1910 
ANDOVER   BAPTIST 


Q70       80        90       1900     1310 
HARTFORD  CONGREGATIONAL 


870      80        90       1900     WlO 
HARTLAND 
CONGREGATIONAL 


50. 


1870      80        90       1900     1910 

SPRINGFIELD 

CONGREGATIONAL 


1870       80        90        1900     1910 
READING  BAPTIST 


1870      80 


I3C0      1910 


1870      80        90       1900    1910 
CAVENDISH   BAPTIST 


WINDSOR  BAPTIST 


ISO 
S50 

too 

1870      80        90       1900     1910 
WESTON  CONGREGATIONAL 


94 


50 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

DIAGRAM    I    {Continued) 
ISO 


J870       60        90       J90O     1910 

LUDLOW 
METHODIST  EPISCOPAL 


\ 

1870       80        90       1900    1910 
WEATHERSFIELD  BAPTIST 


/ 

100 

so 

0 

J 

y 

/ 

</' 

^ 

. — ^ 

1660      70        80        SO       1900     J9I0 
SOUTH   ROYALTON 
CONGREGATIONAL 


1870       80       90       i900     1910 
BETHEL 
CONGREGATIONAL 


2S0 


200 


150 


00 


50 


^ 


t 


-,=/ 


1870      80       i90       1900     1910 
PLYMOUTH 
CONGREGATIONAL 


1870       60        90       1900     1910 

WINDSOR 

CONGREGATIONAL 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 
DIAGRAM    I    {Continued) 


95 


wo 


150 


100 


50 


\^I 


1860      70        80        90       1900     1910 

EAST  WEATHERSFIELD 

CONGREGATIONAL 


•150 


100 


\ 

s 

1870      80        90      1900     1910 

WHITE    RIVER   JUNCTION 

UNIVERSALIS! 


ifUU 

150 

100 
en 

V 

• 

1870      80        90       1900     1910 
WOODSTOCK 
CONGREGATIONAL 


1870      80        90       1900     1919 
WEATHERSFIELD 
CONGREGATIONAL 


100 
50 
n 

■-^ 

r^> 

\ 

/ 

(970      80        90      1900     1910 

EAST  BETHEL 

BAPTIST 


'"S 

V,. 

1870      80        90       1900     1910 

NORWICH 

CONGREGATIONAL 


96 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
DIAGRAM    I    (Continued) 


A — 


360     70        80        90       1900     1910 
POMFRET 
CONGREGATIONAL 


200 
150 
100 

^870      80        90       1900     1910 

ROYALTON 

CONGREGATIONAL 


Vi 


150 


100 


v^ 

1870       80        90       1900     J9I0 

ROCHESTER 
METHODIST  EPISCOPAL 


200 


150 


too 


V^ 


370      80        90      IdOO     1910- 
CHESTER 
CONGREGATIONAL 


1870      £0        90       1900     1910 
SHARON  BAPTIST 


"" 

^ 

1870       80        90       1900     1910 
WINDSOR  EPISCOPAL 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 
DIAGRAM   I    {Continued) 
150 
100 


97 


^/ 


1870       80        90       1900     I'JlO 
WESTON  BAPTIST 


/ 

\ 

J 

50 


'1870       80        90       1900     1910 

ASCUTNEYVILLE 

CONGREGATIONAL 


200 


150 


too 


50 


1870      80        90       1900     1910 

SHARON 

CONGREGATIONAL 


160 


100 


50 


/ 

1870       80        90       1900     I9ia 

ROCHESTER 

CONGREGATIONAL 


150 


100 


SO 


A 

r^ 

1870     80  ■    90     1900  laja 

LUDLOW 
CONGREGATIONAL 


150 
100 
tin 

A 

/ 

/ 

1870       80        90       1300     1910 
QUECHEE 
CONGREGATIONAL 


98  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

The  Gill  Method  Used  in  Ascertaining  Church  At- 
tendance in  1888  and  igo8.  A  more  detailed  account 
than  that  in  Part  i  is  required  for  complete  under- 
standing of  the  method  of  ascertaining  church  at- 
tendance for  two  years  twenty  years  apart.  The  fol- 
lowing description  is  based  on  the  method  as  first 
applied  in  Windsor  County,  Vermont.  Elsewhere 
difference  in  public  records  might  entail  small  changes 
in  the  application  of  the  method. 

The  problem  was  to  determine  the  change  made  in 
the  number  of  church-going  people  in  Windsor  County 
during  the  twenty  year  period  from  1888  to  1908. 

Two  or  more  copies  of  the  lists  of  taxpayers  for  each 
of  these  two  years  were  secured,  and  the  names  were 
arranged  in  groups  according  to  place  of  residence  in 
each  town.  For  this  the  old  school  districts  were  taken 
as  a  basis,  and  copies  of  maps  of  the  districts  were  pre- 
pared for  each  town.  The  list  of  taxpayers  comprised 
nearly  every  family  in  each  town,  and  in  each  school 
district  of  each  town,  for  the  two  years. 

The  next  step  was  to  ascertain  the  names  of  the  per- 
sons still  living  who  regularly  attended  each  Protestant 
church  in  the  year  1888.  From  them  were  selected  the 
best  witnesses,  that  selection  being  based  on  interest 
in  the  church,  age,  memory,  habits  of  mind,  and  ac- 


THE   GILL  METHOD  99 

quaintance  with  and  interest  in  the  people.  If  any 
persons  had  moved  into  the  town  in  the  year  1888  and 
had  become  regular  church  attendants,  their  names  were 
ascertained,  and  generally  they  were  found  to  be  most 
efficient  in  settling  cases  of  doubt  as  to  the  attendance 
of  individuals  in  that  year.  Next  the  investigator 
called  on  the  witnesses  selected,  awakened  their  interest 
in  the  work,  explained  its  methods,  and  invited  their 
cooperation.  In  some  cases  it  was  possible  to  interest 
a  whole  family  of  regular  attendants  of  different  ages, 
who  increased  the  probable  correctness  of  the  work  by 
participating  in  it. 

Church-goers  were  divided  into  three  classes, — occa- 
sional attendants,  who  were  present  from  one-sixth  to 
one- third  of  the  time;  frequent  attendants,  present 
from  one-third  to  two-thirds  of  the  time;  and  regular 
attendants,  present  from  two-thirds  to  all  of  the  time. 

The  witnesses  selected  were  cautioned  against  the 
danger  of  confusing  any  other  year,  such  as  1887  or 
1891,  with  the  year  1888,  and  were  urged  to  declare 
their  uncertainty  in  every  doubtful  case.  The  name 
of  the  pastor  in  the  year  1888  had  previously  been 
ascertained,  and  in  all  cases  was  given  to  the  persons 
interviewed. 

Then  came  the  tedious  task  of  going  over  the  names 


loo  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

on  the  list  of  taxpayers,  recording  the  number  of 
church-goers  from  every  family,  and  marking  the  names 
as  to  which  the  witness  was  doubtful.  Later  the  witness 
was  questioned  carefully  as  to  whether  any  names  had 
probably  been  omitted,  and  whether  the  facts  as  writ- 
ten down  were  surely  correct.  Opinions  were  then 
asked  as  to  the  tendency  in  church  attendance  in  the 
twenty  year  period,  and  estimates  were  secured  as  to 
numbers  in  the  congregations  of  1888  and  1908.  In 
many  cases  it  was  found  that  the  persons  interviewed 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  actually  counting  the  con- 
gregations. 

The  tax  lists  for  1908  were  then  treated  in  the  same 
way.  The  process  here  described  was  repeated  with 
other  witnesses.  Any  divergences  were  then  discussed 
with  the  first  witnesses,  and  the  repetition  was  con- 
tinued until  the  investigator  had  satisfied  himself  that 
his  figures  were  reasonably  accurate.  It  is  not  always 
possible  to  find  competent  witnesses  on  the  first  trial. 
In  Windsor  County  there  are  one  or  two  such  in  nearly 
every  church. 

The  cooperation  freely  given  in  this  part  of  the 
investigation  was  of  peculiar  value,  and  acknowledg- 
ment is  here  repeated  of  the  unselfish  and  indispensable 
assistance  so  generously  rendered. 


THE  GILL  METHOD  loi 

The  Method  Tested.  Confidence  in  the  truthfulness  of 
the  conclusions  resulting  from  this  method  is  based 
chiefly  on  the  thorough  testing  to  which  they  were  sub- 
jected by  comparison  with  records  of  counted  congrega- 
tions. In  most  cases  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  as- 
certain the  average  attendance  in  1908.  Where  records 
of  actual  counts  were  not  available,  it  was  usually  pos- 
sible to  find  church  members  who  had  been  in  the  habit 
of  counting  congregations  although  not  of  recording  the 
count.  In  a  surprisingly  large  number  of  cases  in  Wind- 
sor County  it  was  found  that  two-thirds  the  number  of 
combined  frequent  and  regular  attendants,  that  is,  of 
those  who  were  in  church  at  least  one  Sunday  out  of 
three,  coincided  closely  with  the  average  congregation 
as  shown  by  the  record  of  counted  congregations,  and 
by  the  estimates  of  persons  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
counting.  In  order  to  make  certain  that  the  figures 
for  1908  did  not  fall  below  the  actual  attendance  at 
church  these  estimates  were  checked  against  two-thirds 
of  the  number  of  combined  frequent  and  regular  at- 
tendants as  found  by  the  Gill  method.  If  the  estimates 
were  larger  than  the  number  found  by  the  Gill  method, 
the  estimate  was  used.  If  the  number  was  larger  the 
number  was  used.  By  this  uniform  method  of  choice 
all  possibility  of  an  unfair  selection  of  the  result  to 


I02  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

use  was  avoided  and  a  conservative  figure  was  made 
certain. 

Columns  6  and  7  of  Table  9  show  that  the  average 
change  in  attendance  in  counted  congregations  was  a 
decline  of  41  per  cent,  while  the  average  change  for  the 
same  congregations  by  the  Gill  method  was  a  decline  of 
only  33  per  cent. 

Of  course  it  does  not  follow  that  in  all  cases  the  change 
in  the  relative  number  of  people  who  attended  church 
more  than  one-third  of  the  time  in  two  given  years  will 
correspond  exactly  with  the  change  in  the  average 
congregations  of  the  two  years,  but  in  determining  the 
tendency  in  church-going  the  two  sets  of  data  coincide 
so  closely  that  the  truthfulness  of  both  sets  is  confirmed. 

In  more  than  one-third  of  the  churches,  therefore,  the 
method  is  tested.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  hereafter 
records  of  counted  congregations  in  other  churches  may 
be  discovered,  and  it  is  possible  that  these  may  show 
that  in  some  churches  the  loss  in  attendance  is  over- 
estimated, but  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  enough  over- 
estimates have  been  made  to  offset  the  underestimates 
which  have  been  proved. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


■<=>3 


TABLE  9 

Showing  that  the  Loss  in  Attendance  May  Be  Greater  but  Can- 
not Be  Less  than  that  Stated  in  the  Conclusions  of  the 
Investigation 


Year 

Attendance 
According 
to  Records 
of  Counted 
Congrega- 
tions * 

Number  of 
Regular 

and 

Frequent 

Attendants 

Determined 

by  Gill 

Method 

Percentage  of 

Attendance  in 

1888 

Percentage  Lost 
or  Gained  Com- 
pared with  1888 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations ** 

Gill 
Method 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations 

Gill 
Method 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Average  loss  in   20  years, 

(a)  Excluding  the  church- 

es for  which  the  members 

are  estimated  for  ^888. 

—43 

—34 

(b)  Including  the  church- 

es for  which  the  members 

are  estimated  for  1888  ** 

—41 

—33 

Hartford  Cong'l            1886 

190 

119 

1888 

160 

248 

100 

100 

1889 

165 

103 

1890 

206 

129 

1908 

99 

IS3 

62 

62 

-38 

-38 

Hartland  Cong'l           1888 

80 

94 

100 

100 

1889 

90 

113 

1890 

80 

ICX) 

1908 

40 

59 

50 

63 

—SO 

—37 

1909 

40 

... 

50 

... 

Ludlow  Meth.               1888 

7S 

96 

100 

100 

1908 

74 

106 

99 

no 

—  I 

+10 

Springfield  Cong'l         1888 

220 

317 

100 

100 

1901 

20s 

93 

1904 

187 

8S 

1908 

133 

200 

61 

63 

—39 

—37 

1910 

138 

63 

104 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   9   {Continued) 


Year 

Attendance 
According 
to  Records 
of  Counted 
Congrega- 
tions * 

Number  of 
Regular 

and 

Frequent 

Attendants 

Determined 

by  Gill 

Method 

Percentage  of 

Attendance  in 

1888 

Percentage  Lost 
or  Gained  Com- 
pared with  1888 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations ** 

Gill 
Method 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations 

Gill 
Method 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Stockbridge  Cong'l 

i888 

60 

S8 

100 

100 

1908 

40 

40 

67 

69 

—33 

—31 

Weston  Cong'l 

1888 
1890 
1 90s 

60 
S6 
40 

43 

100 
93 
67 

100 

1908 

35 

26 

S8 

61 

—42 

—39 

Andover  Baptist 

1888 

40 

61 

100 

100 

1908 

10 

IS 

25 

25 

-75 

—75 

Bethel  Cong'l 

1888 

90 

130 

100 

100 

1908 

41 

62 

46 

48 

—54 

-52 

Bridgewater  Cong'l 

1887 

80 

123 

1888 

6S 

49*" 

100 

100 

1890 

90 

139 

1908 

SO 

36*** 

77 

"74 

-23**** 

—26 

1910 

40 

62 

. 

Cavendish  Baptist 

1888 

75 

73 

100 

100 

1908 

SS 

63 

73 

86 

—27 

—14 

Chester  Cong'l 

1882 
r888 

175 

177 

106 
100** 

1908 

102 

IS2 

62 

86 

-38 

—14 

Chester  Baptist 

1888 

125 

154 

100 

100 

1908 

70 

los 

S6 

68 

—44 

—32 

Queechee  Cong'l 

1882 

130 

... 

130 

1888 

121 

100 

100 

1908 

47 

73 

47 

60 

—53 

—40 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


105 


TABLE 

9    (Conti 

mied) 

Number  of 

Percentage  of 

Percentage  Lost 

Attendance 

Regular 

Attendance  in 

or  Gained  Com- 

According 

and 

1888 

pared  with  1888 

to  Records 

Frequent 

Year 

of  Counted 

Attendants 

Counted 

Counted 

Congrega- 
tions * 

Determined 
by  Gill 
Method 

Congre- 
gations** 

Gill 
Method 

Congre- 
gations 

Gill 
Method 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

West  Hartford  Cong'l 

1882 

70 

108 

1888 

92 

100 

100 

1908 

43 

64 

66 

70 

—34 

—30 

White  River  Jet.  Univ 

.1888 
1903 
1904 

S3 
37 

106 

70 
49 

100 

1908 

31 

41 

41 

39 

1909 

23 

... 

31 

North  HartlandMeth 

1888 

55 

SI 

100 

100 

, 

1908 

16 

24 

29 

47 

—71 

—S3 

Ludlow  Cong'l 

1882 

90 

Id 

1888 

113 

100 

100 

1908 

85 

127 

95 

112 

—5 

+12 

1910 

100 

... 

112 

... 

Ludlow  Baptist 

1888 

140 

198 

100 

100 

1908 

S9 

133 

64 

67 

-36 

—33 

1910 

63 

45 

... 

Norwich  Cong'l 

1875 
1880 
1882 

206 
180 
140 

ISS 
135 
105 

1888 

244 

100 

100 

1896 

123 

92 

1908 

I9S 

80 

—20 

1910 

100 

75 

—25 

Reading  (Felchville) 

Baptist 

1888 
1906 

60 
30 

60 

100 
50 

100 

io6 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE 

9   (Continued) 

Attendance 
According 
to  Records 
oj  Counted 
Congrega- 
tions * 

Number  of 
Regular 

and 

Frequent 

Attendants 

Determined 

by  Gill 

Method 

Percentage  of 

Attendance  in 

1888 

Percentage  Lost 
or  Gained  Com- 
pared with  1888 

Tear 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations** 

Gill 
Method 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations 

GiU 

Method 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Reading  (Felchville) 

1908 

16 

23 

27 

38 

—73 

—62 

Baptist 

Rochester  Cong'l 

1882 

117 

... 

117 

1888 

137 

100 

100 

1908 

SO 

75 

SO 

55 

—50 

—45 

Rochester  Meth. 

1888 
1901 
1902 
1905 
1907 

85 
80 
63 
60 

125 

100 
94 

74 
71 

100 

1908 

72 

63 

85 

51 

1909 

55 

... 

65 

S.  Royalton  Cong'l 

1888 

90 

131 

100 

100 

1908 

94 

141 

104 

108 

+4 

+  8 

Royalton  Congl 

1880 
1881 
1882 

108 

100 

76 

152 
141 
107 

... 

1888 

98 

100 

TOO 

1908 

59 

88 

83 

90 

—17 

—10 

Sharon  Cong'l 

1880 
1881 
1882 

85 
80 
75 

... 

121 

114 
107 

1888 

102 

100 

100 

1908 

49 

73 

70 

72 

—30 

—28 

1910 

40 

... 

57 

Sharon  Baptist 

1885 
1887 

85 
50 

... 

170 
100 

1888 

62 

100 

100 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 
TABLE  9    {Continued) 


107 


Number  of 

Percentage  of 

Percentage  Lost 

Attendance 

Regular 

Attendance  in 

or  Gained  Com- 

According 

and 

1888 

pared  with  1 888 

to  Records 
of  Counted 

Frequent 
Attendants 

Year 

Counted 

Counted 

Congrega- 
tions * 

Determined 
by  Gill 
Method 

Congre- 
gations** 

Gill 
Method 

Congre- 
gations 

Gill 
Method 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Sharon  Baptist 

1890 
1895 

6S 

40 

130 
80 

1908 

19 

28 

38 

45 

—62 

—55 

Springfield  Baptist 

1888 

TOO 

6s*** 

100 

100 

1908 

83 

77*** 

83 

119 

—17 

+19 

Weathersfield  Baptist 

1888 
1893 

75 

54 

100 

100 

72 

100 

1908 

3Q 

58 

52 

58 

-48 

—42 

Weathersfield  Center 

Cong'l 

1880 
1888 
1889 
189s 
1900 
1901 
1908 

65 

75 
51 
31 
28 

42 
14 

87 

100 
68 
41 
37 

100 
33 

Weathersfield  Cong'l  & 

Ascutneyville  Meth. 

1880 
1882 

125 
93 

... 

134 
115 

1888 

134 

100 

100 

1908 

43 

64 

S3 

48 

-48 

—52 

Weston  Baptist 

&  Meth. 

1888 

160 

182 

100 

100 

1908 

43 

64 

27 

35 

—73 

-6S 

Windsor  Cong'l 

1882 

150 

III 

1888 

^96 

100 

100 

1895 

100 

74 

... 

io8 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE  9    {Continued) 


Year 

Attendance 
According 
to  Records 
of  Counted 
Congrega- 
tions * 

Number  of 
Regular 

and 

Frequent 

Attendants 

Determined 

by  Gill 

Method 

Percentage  of 

Attendance  in 

1888 

Percentage  Lost 
or  Gained  Com- 
pared with  1888 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations** 

Gill 
Method 

Counted 
Congre- 
gations 

Gill 
Method 

I 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Windsor  Cong'l 

1900 
1904 
1906 

60 
60 
49 

44 
44 
36 

1908 

49 

73 

36 

37 

-64 

-63 

Windsor  Baptist 

1888 
1906 

160 
49 

119 

100 

30 

100 

1908 

42 

63 

26 

53 

—74 

—47 

Windsor  Episcopal 

1888 
189s 
1900 
1 90s 
1907 

S2, 
50 
41 
SI 

S7*** 

93 
88 
72 
90 

100 

1908 

82 

72*** 

144 

126 

1909 

72 

126 

1910 

61 

107 

Woodstock  Cong'l 

1880 

167 

106 

1888 

194 

100 

100 

1908 

I3S 

163 

8S 

84 

—IS 

—16 

1909 

137 

87 

•  In  column  2  figures  which  are  reckoned  in  the  manner  described  on  page  100  are 
italicised.    The  rest  of  the  figures  represent  actual  counts. 

**  In  column  4  the  italicised  figure  stands  for  the  number  for  1888  estimated  from  the 
counts  for  the  nearest  years  for  which  counts  are  recorded.  All  other  figures  represent 
actual  counts. 

**♦  Does  not  include  attendants  whose  residences  are  in  other  townships. 

•***  It  will  be  noted  as  compared  with  the  year  1887  the  loss  is  37  per  cent  and  as  com- 
pared with  1890  it  is  44  per  cent. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


109 


Diagram  II,  based  on  the  figures  in  Table  9,  shows  also 
that  the  loss  in  attendance  may  be  greater  but  cannot  be 
less  than  that  stated  by  the  conclusions  of  this  investiga- 
tion. The  unbroken  line  represents  the  average  decline 
of  41  per  cent  shown  by  the  records  of  counted  congrega- 
tions of  those  churches  for  which  such  records  were 
found,  while  the  dotted  line  shows  for  the  same  group 
of  churches  a  decline  of  only  ^^  per  cent  indicated  by 
the  results  obtained  in  the  use  of  the  Gill  Method. 

DIAGRAM  II 

Comparison  of  the  Results  of  the  Gill  Method  with 
Records  of  Counted  Congregations 


(Dotted  line  represents  the  former,  the  unbroken  line  the  latter.) 
J20 

WO 


^ 

S,s^"^ 

-^^33% 

41%'    ' 

93 


98 


1903         1908 


no  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

4.   ATTENDANCE  AND  MEMBERSHIP  COMPARED 

For  fifty  years  in  Windsor  County  there  has  been  a 
tendency  for  church  attendance  to  decline  in  propor- 
tion to  membership.  Table  10  gives  membership  and 
attendance  figures  for  every  church  in  the  county  for 
which  both  sets  of  facts  are  available  for  the  twenty 
year  period  1 888-1 908.  Of  the  49  churches  compared, 
the  attendance  has  gained  in  proportion  to  membership 
in  12,  while  in  37  it  has  lost.  In  the  last  two  columns 
the  figures  are  reduced  to  percentages. 

In  these  49  churches  there  is  a  decline  in  the  total 
church  membership  of  less  than  i  per  cent,  while  in 
attendance  there  is  a  decHne  of  nearly  28  per  cent.  The 
same  tendency  is  also  shown  by  comparing  the  figures 
which  have  already  been  given  for  membership  and 
attendance  in  the  county.  While  for  the  county,  mem- 
bership has  increased  4  per  cent,  attendance  has  de- 
clined 30  per  cent. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE  in 

TABLE   lo 

Number  of  Members  and  Attendants  Compared  for  1888 
AND  1908  (Churches  Arranged  in  Order  of  Relative  In- 
crease OR  Decrease  of  Attendance  in  Relation  to  Mem- 
bership) 


Enrolled 

Attendant's 

Per  Cent 

Members 

Gain  or  Loss 

In 

In 

1888 

igo8 

1888 

1908 

Member- 
ship 

Attend- 
ance 

Totals 

4,493 

4,456 

5,320 

3,834 

—  I 

—28 

Springfield 

Epis. 

9 

S3 

25 

53 

+489 

+112 

Pomfret 

Cong'l 

31 

74 

108 

98 

+139 

—  9 

Plymouth 

" 

17 

23 

80 

37 

+35 

—54 

Cavendish 

Baptist 

46 

76 

73 

63 

+65 

—14 

West  Windsor 

Meth. 

6s 

lOI 

108 

92 

+55 

—15 

Barnard 

Meth. 

91 

99 

136 

61 

+  9 

—55 

Andover 

Baptist 

28 

26 

61 

15 

—  7 

— 7S   * 

Weston 

Meth. 

72 

78 

lOI 

42 

+  8 

-S8 

Weathersfield 

Baptist 

85 

100 

100 

58 

+18 

—42 

Springfield 

Cong'l 

283 

340 

317 

200 

+20 

—37 

Bridgewater 

" 

43 

56 

49 

36 

+30 

—27 

Windsor 

" 

128 

110 

196 

73 

— 14 

-63 

Weathersfield  Ctr.     " 

54 

46 

42 

14 

—15 

—67 

Woodstock 

Epis. 

48 

90 

109 

149 

+88 

+37 

So.  Royalton 

Cong'l 

61 

96 

133 

141 

+57 

+  6 

Hartland 

" 

6S 

69 

94 

59 

+  6 

—37 

Ludlow 

" 

108 

176 

113 

127 

+63 

+12 

Bethel 

" 

8S 

76 

130 

62 

— II 

—52 

Weston 

Baptist 

67 

42 

81 

22 

—37 

—73 

Royalton 

Epis. 

26  (1887) 

19 

32 

12 

—27 

-63 

Chester 

Baptist 

157 

169 

154 

105 

+  8 

—32 

Ludlow 

" 

216 

224 

198 

133 

+  4 

—33 

Hartford 

Cong'l 

182 

176 

248 

153 

—  3 

-38 

So.  Royalton 

Meth. 

81 

93 

119 

92 

+15 

—23 

West  Hartford 

Cong'l 

71 

70 

92 

64 

—  I 

—30 

Bethel 

Epis. 

46 

43 

79 

54 

—  7 

—32 

Woodstock 

Meth. 

173 

152 

134 

85 

— 12 

-37 

Chester 

Cong'l 

160 

178 

177 

152 

+11 

—14 

112 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   lo   (Contimied) 


Enrolled 

Per  Cent 

Members 

Attendants 

Gain  or  Loss 

In 

In 

iS88 

1908 

1888 

1908 

Member- 
ship 

Attend- 
ance 

Ludlow 

Meth. 

76 

102 

96 

106 

+34 

+10 

Weston 

Cong'l 

37 

30 

43 

26 

—19 

—40 

Rochester 

" 

118 

86 

137 

75 

—27 

—45 

Springfield 

Meth. 

193 

234 

191 

194 

+21 

+  2 

Quechee 

Cong'l 

lOI 

79 

121 

73 

— 21 

—40 

Norwich 

" 

187 

174 

244 

195 

—  7 

— 20 

Cavendish 

Meth. 

48 

SO 

71 

68 

+  4 

—  4 

Sharon 

Cong'l 

92 

71 

102 

73 

—23 

—28 

Rochester 

Meth. 

142 

77 

I2S 

63 

—46 

—SO 

Woodstock 

Cong'l 

211 

176 

194 

163 

—17 

—16 

Windsor 

Baptist 

143 

74 

119 

63 

-48 

—47 

Windsor 

Epis. 

70 

83 

57 

72 

+19 

+26 

Stockbridge 

Cong'l 

48 

25 

58 

40 

-48 

—31 

Royalton 

" 

73 

59 

98 

88 

—19 

— 10 

Hartland 

Meth. 

76 

36 

88 

54 

—53 

—39 

Chester 

Epis. 

77 

43 

61 

40 

—44 

—34 

Sharon 

Baptist 

54 

IS 

62 

28 

—72 

—ss 

Reading 

" 

62 

9 

60 

23 

-85 

—62 

Springfield 

" 

132 

1 20 

6S 

77 

—  9 

+18 

White  River  Jet. 

Epis. 

37 

49 

27 

44 

+32 

+63 

Bethel 

Baptist 

18 

9 

12* 

17* 

—50 

+42 

•  Attendants  resident  in  neighboring  townships  excluded  in  both  years. 


Diagram  III,  based  on  the  figures  in  Table  10,  shows 
graphically  that  in  the  churches  for  which  both  sets 
of  facts  are  known  membership  has  declined  only  i 
per  cent  while  attendance  has  declined  28  per  cent. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE  113 


DIAGRAM  III 
Comparison  of  Loss  in  Membership  and  Loss  in  Attendance 
ltd 


loss  in  Membership  •  /^ 

•^<^^c 

^'>^^-^ 

93  98  1903 


I90S 


The  decline  of  attendance  in  proportion  to  member- 
ship has  been  explained  as  due  to  the  retention  of  non- 
resident members  on  church  rolls.  That  this  is  not  true 
is  shown  by  the  figures  for  32  churches  given  in  Table  11, 
in  only  6  of  which  the  attendance  has  gained  on  the 
resident  membership,  while  membership  has  increased 
over  attendance  in  26. 


114 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   II 


Number  of  Resident  Members  and  Attendants  in  the 
Individual  Churches  in  the  Years  1888  and  1908  and  the 
Gain  and  Loss  per  Cent  (Churches  Arranged  in  the 
Order  of  the  Percentage  of  Loss  in  Attendance  in  Re- 
lation TO  Membership) 


Resident 
Members 

Attendants 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

Resident 

Attend- 

1888 

1908 

1888 

1908 

Members 

ants 

Totals 

2,324 

2,180 

3,761 

2,553 

—  6 

— 32 

Pomfret 

Cong'l 

27 

63 

108 

98 

+133 

—  9 

Plymouth 

" 

14 

18 

80 

37 

+29 

—54 

Cavendish 

Baptist 

37 

61 

73 

63 

+65 

—14 

Andover 

" 

16 

12 

61 

15 

—25 

—75 

Weathersfield 

" 

54 

45 

100 

58 

—17 

—42 

Springfield 

Cong'l 

235 

245 

317 

200 

+  4 

—37 

Bridgewater 

" 

25 

37 

49 

36 

+48 

—27 

Windsor 

" 

104 

85 

196 

73 

—18 

-63 

Weathersfield  Ctr.     " 

39 

23 

42 

14 

—41 

-67 

So.  Royalton 

" 

50 

77 

133 

141 

+54 

+  6 

Hartland 

'< 

56 

55 

94 

59 

—  2 

—37 

Ludlow 

" 

60 

133 

113 

127 

+122 

+12 

Bethel 

" 

68 

61 

130 

62 

ID 

-52 

Weston 

Baptist 

30 

32 

81 

22 

+  7 

—73 

Chester 

" 

113 

120 

154 

los 

+  6 

—32 

Ludlow 

" 

160 

145 

198 

133 

—  9 

—33 

Hartford 

Congl 

147 

116 

248 

153 

— 21 

-38 

West  Hartford 

" 

48 

48 

92 

64 

—30 

Weston 

" 

26 

24 

43 

26 

—  8 

—40 

Chester 

« 

116 

119 

177 

152 

+  3 

—14 

Rochester 

" 

94 

66 

137 

75 

—30 

—45 

Quechee 

" 

79 

51 

121 

73 

—35 

—40 

Norwich 

" 

150 

138 

244 

195 

—  8 

—20 

Sharon 

" 

67 

38 

102 

73 

—43 

—28 

Woodstock 

" 

166 

149 

194 

163 

— 10 

—16 

Windsor 

Baptist 

91 

41 

119 

63 

—55 

—47 

Royalton 

Cong'l 

SI 

47 

98 

88 

—  8 

—10 

Sharon 

Baptist 

32 

IS 

62 

28 

-53 

—55 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  115 

TABLE   II    (Continued) 


Resident 
Members 

Attendants 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

1888 

1908 

1888 

1908 

Resident 
Members 

Attend- 
ants 

Stockbridge            Cong'l 
Springfield             Baptist 
Reading 
Bethel 

39 
74 
42 
14 

19 

79 

9 

9 

S8 
65 
60 
12* 

40 
77 
23 
17* 

—SI 
+  7 
—79 
-36 

—31 
+18 
—62 
+42 

Attendants  resident  in  neighboring  townships  excluded  both  years. 


5.   INCOME  AND  EXPENDITURES 

A  description  of  the  method  of  determining  the  in- 
crease or  decrease  in  the  amount  of  expenditure  by  the 
churches  is  given  on  page  24. 

The  Change  in  Prices  and  the  Cost  of  Living.  Tables 
12  and  13  show  that  the  greatest  increase  in  the  cost  of 
living,  comparing  the  period  1885-1889  with  the  period 
1905-1909,  was  48  per  cent  in  the  township  of  Hartford; 
the  least  mcrease  was  7  per  cent  in  the  township  of 
Weston.  Comparing  the  year  1909  with  the  average 
for  1885-1889  the  least  increase  was  10  per  cent  in 
Weston,  while  the  greatest  was  57  per  cent  in  Hartford. 


ii6 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   12 

Increase  per  Cent  in  the  Cost  of  Living  for  the  Year 
1909  and  for  1 905-1 909  AS  Compared  with  the  Average 
FOR  1885-1889 

Percentage  of  Increase  in  Cost  of 

Living  as  Compared  with 

1885-1889 


1900 
Per  Cent 


1905-1909 
Per  Cent 


Hartford  Town. 

Norwich        "    . 

Bethel           "   

Cavendish    "   

Windsor        "    

Ludlow         " 

Rochester     "   

Weathersfield  Town 

Stockbridge 

Chester 

Woodstock 

Reading 

Sharon 

Bridgewater 

Barnard 

Royalton 

Hartland 

Springfield 
Pomfret 

Weston 

31 


24 


57 

48 

46 

40 

42 

35 

38 

34 

40 

33 

41 

32 

38 

31 

35 

28 

33 

25 

30 

25 

31 

23 

21 

18 

29 

17 

30 

16 

22 

16 

24 

IS 

24 

14 

20 

13 

15 

9 

10 

7 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  117 


TABLE   13 

Index  Figures  Showing  the  Change  in  the  Cost  of  Living 
IN  Twenty  Towns,  as  Compared  with  1885-1889 


Year 

Hartfora 

Norwich 

Bethel 

Ludlow 

Windsoi 

Caven- 
dish 

1875-1880 

105 

I 880-1 884 

102 

1885-1889 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

1890 

lOI 

95 

108 

96 

1893 

no 

97 

108 

106 

1895 

93 

loS 

1898 

94 

I  OS 

1900 

93 

112 

"5 

1903 

119 

105 

1905 

143 

137 

128 

125 

126 

131 

1908 

148 

139 

139 

134 

136 

I3S 

1909 

157 

146 

142 

141 

140 

138 

Ave.  'o5-'o9 

148 

140 

135 
Stock- 

132 

133 

134 

Roch- 

Weath- 

bridge 

Wood- 

Bridge- 

Year 

ester 

ersfield 

{without 
rent) 

stock 

water 

Chester 

1875-1880 

III 

126 

120 

123 

I 880-1 884 

96 

132 

115 

los 

1885-1889 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

1890 

114 

106 

105 

lOI 

1893 

102 

113 

99 

106 

1895 

100 

lOI 

86 

lOI 

1898 

98 

104 

96 

104 

1900 

113 

109 

los 

104 

1903 

III 

IIS 

103 

III 

1905 

126 

120 

119 

118 

109 

119 

1908 

133 

133 

126 

124 

116 

123 

1909 

138 

135 

133 

131 

130 

130 

Ave.  'o5-'o9 

131 

128 

125 

123 

116 

125 

ii8 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE    13    {Continued) 


Hart- 

Year 

Sharon 

Royalton 

land 

(without 

rent) 

Barnard 

Reading 

spring- 
field 

1875-1880 

95 

IIS 

94 

1880-1885 

no 

112 

104 

1885-1889 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

1890 

96 

98 

86 

102 

1893 

104 

102 

103 

1895 

100 

97 

102 

1898 

102 

96 

lOI 

1900 

108 

lOI 

102 

102 

1903 

109 

103 

103 

1905 

III 

III 

107 

113 

116 

107 

1908 

116 

114 

118 

117 

119 

116 

1909 

129 

124 

124 

122 

121 

120 

Ave.  *os-'o9 

117 

IIS 

114 

116 

118 

113 

Year 

Pomfret 

Weston 

1875-1880 

105 

115 

1880-1885 

128 

108 

1885-1889 

100 

100 

1890 

104 

100 

1893 

102 

103 

1895 

107 

100 

1898 

97 

97 

1900 

104 

loS 

1903 

103 

108 

190S 

lOI 

105 

1908 

113 

109 

1909 

115 

no 

Ave.  'o5-'o9 

109 

107 

Diagram  IV  shows  the  change  in  the  cost  of  living 
in  the  different  townships.    The  figures  at  the  bottom 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  119 

of  the  cuts  indicate  the  years.  The  average  for  1885- 
1889  being  taken  as  100,  the  lines  show  the  increase 
per  cent  as  indicate  by  the  figures  at  the  left  of  the 
cuts. 

DIAGRAM  IV 

The  Change  in  the  Cost  of  Living  in  the  Different 
Townships 


J885      90       95      1900     05 
HARTFORD 


95       1300      05      19iO 
NORWICH 


%S5      30 


^ 


95       (900      05      1910 

bethel 


90 


05      (910: 


LUDLOW 


I20 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

DIAGRAM  IV   (Continued) 
160 


1885      90.       95       <900'    05      1910 
WINDSOR 


90       95       1900      05      1910 
CAVENDISH 


/ 

y 

/ 

\^ 

/ 

-J 

90       95       I90Q      05      1910 
ROCHESTER 


/ 

^^ 

-^ 

"^ 

90       95       1900      05     1910 
WEATHERSFIELD 


y 

^ 

^ 

^ 

1885     90       95       1900      05      19J0 
STOCKBRIDGE 


y 

385      90       95       1900      05      13(0 
WOODSTOCK 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  1 21 

DIAGRAM   IV   (Continued) 


160 

MO 

140 

I 

120 

kO 

^ 

^ 

/ 

y 

100 

lUU 
8, 

\ 

/ 

fiO, 

85     90       95       1910      05      WW 
BRIDGEWATER 

1 

y 

^^ 

A 

90       9S      1300      05     1910 

CHESTER 


/ 

^ 

^ 

— ' 

^ 

^v. 

X 

90       95       1900      05      1910 
SHARON 


J5     9b       95       1900      05      1910 
ROYALTON 


90       95       BOO      05      m        '885     90       95       1300      05      J9I0 
HARTLAND  BARNARD 


122 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

DIAGRAM   IV   (Co7itinued) 
160 


1885      90       95       1900      05      1910 
READING 


1885      90.      95      1900      05      1910 
SPRINGFIELD 


f60 
140 
120 
100 

^^ 

^ 

^v- 



X 

^ 

^ 

/ 

8Q„ 

90        95       1900     05      1910         1885      90        95       1900      05      1910 
POMFRET  WESTON 


Total  Expenditures.  The  following  comparison 
(Table  14)  of  church  expenditures  in  Windsor  County- 
deals  with  the  average  of  the  five  years  from  1905  to 
1909  as  compared  with  the  five  years  from  1885  to  1889. 
It  appears  that  all  the  churches  in  the  county  for  which 
statistics  are  available  taken  together  have  increased 
their  expenditures  from  $50,931  in  the  first  period  to 
$65,679  in  the  second,  an  increase  of  29  per  cent.  The 
latter  figure,  however,  includes  more  than  $20,000  ex- 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  123 

pended  in  the  second  period  for  a  church  in  Woodstock, 
more  than  three-fourths  of  the  cost  of  which  was  con- 
tributed by  summer  residents  and  non-residents.  If  all 
the  churches  of  the  town  of  Woodstock  are  eliminated 
from  the  comparison,  as  it  is  fair  they  should  be,  the 
increase  is  from  $42,704  in  the  first  period  to  $52,419  in 
the  second  period,  or  an  increase  of  22.7  per  cent.  If 
we  express  these  expenditures  for  the  second  period  in 
terms  of  their  actual  purchasing  power  compared  with 
expenditures  in  the  first  period,  still  eHminating  the 
churches  of  Woodstock,  we  find  them  to  amount  only 
to  $41,855,  or  a  loss  of  2  per  cent. 

To  express  the  matter  differently,  34  churches  in 
Windsor  County  have  expended  a  greater  number  of 
dollars  in  the  second  period  than  in  the  first,  while  19 
have  expended  a  smaller  number.  Measured  in  pur- 
chasing power,  27  churches  have  increased  their  ex- 
penditures while  26  have  decreased  them. 

Among  the  churches  whose  financial  statistics  are 
not  available  there  are  in  the  county  14  churches  of 
one  denomination  whose  total  attendance  declined  50 
per  cent  in  twenty  years.  It  is  probable  therefore  that 
their  expenditures  in  money  have  suffered  a  greater 
decHne  than  did  those  of  the  denominations  whose 
statistics  are  given.    It  is  evident  from  these  results 


124 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


that  the  churches  of  the  county  as  a  whole  are  barely 
holding  their  own,  although  largely  assisted  by  con- 
tributions from  non-residents. 


TABLE  14 
Average  Annual  Expenditures  of  the  Individual  Churches 

1885-1889  AND  I905-1909 


1885-89 

1905-] 

[909 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

Pur- 

Name of  Church 

Dollars 

chasing 
Power  as 

In 

In 

Pur- 

and Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Dollars 

Com- 
pared 
with  1885 
-1889 

Dol- 
lars 

chas- 
ing 
Power 

Totals    with   Woodstock 

. 

churches 

50,931 

65,679 

52,635 

+  29 

+  3 

Totals    without    Wood- 

stock Churches 

42,704 

52,419 

41,855 

+23 

—  2 

Springfield         Cong'l... 

5,373 

4,225 

3,732 

— 21 

—31 

Hartford                 "     ... 

2,168 

1,946 

1,318 

— 10 

—39 

Queechee                "     ... 

1,523 

1,449 

981 

—  5 

-36 

West  Hartford      "     ... 

568 

727 

492 

+  28 

—13 

Wilder                    "    .. . . 

238 

1,205 

816 

+406 

+  243 

Woodstock            "     ... 

4,926 

4,704 

3,824 

—  5 

— 22 

Windsor                 "     ... 

1,661 

1,520 

1,144 

—  8 

—31 

Ludlow                  "     ... 

619 

2,291 

1,739 

+  270 

+  181 

Bethel                    "     ... 

728 

1,074 

797 

+48 

+  9 

Chester                  "     ... 

1,219 

1,946 

1,582 

+  60 

+30 

So.  Royalton         "     ... 

864 

1,506 

1,394 

+  74 

+61 

Royal  ton                " 

831 

890 

824 

+  7 

—  I 

Hartland                "      ... 

884 

1,263 

1,103 

+43 

+  25 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES 


125 


TABLE   14   {Continued) 


Gain  or  Loss 

1885-89 

1905-1 

909 

Per  Cent 

Pur- 

chasing 

In 

Name  of  Church 

Dollars 

1 

Power  as 

In 

Pur- 

and  Pur- 

Dollars 

Com- 

Dol- 

fhas- 

chasing 

1 

pared 

lars 

ing 

Power 

with  1885 
-1889 

Power 

Rochester          Cong'l... 

816 

1,200 

913 

+47 

+  12 

Norwich 

1,182 

1,513 

1,139 

+  28 

—  4 

Ascutneyville         "     ... 

218 

337 

263 

+55 

+  21 

Weathersfield         "     ... 

160 

125 

97 

— 22 

—39 

Bridgewater           "     ... 

352 

584 

503 

+66 

+43 

Stockbridge            "     ... 

344 

281 

207 

—18 

—40 

Pomfret                  "     ... 

463 

809 

745 

+  75 

+61 

Weston                   "     ... 

362 

466 

434 

+  29 

+  20 

Sharon                    "     ... 

720 

684 

600 

—  5 

—17. 

Plymouth               "     ... 

130 

189 

151 

+45 

+  16 

Springfield       Baptist.  . . 

1,078 

984 

869 

—  9 

—19 

Windsor                 "     ... 

1,213 

863 

649 

—29 

-46 

Ludlow                   "     ... 

1,795 

•2,369 

1,798 

+32 

Bethel                     "     ... 

254 

109 

81 

—57 

—68 

Chester                   "     ... 

1,404 

2,031 

1,652 

+45 

+  18 

Cavendish              "     ... 

44Q 

843 

671 

+88 

+49 

Weathersfield         "     ... 

718 

760 

593 

+  6 

—17 

Weston                   *'     ... 

3 

131 

122 

Sharon                    "     ... 

301 

202 

177 

—33 

—41 

Reading                 "     ... 

734 

375 

292 

—49 

—60 

Andover                 "     . . . 

257 

453 

368 

+76 

+43 

White  River  Jet.  Epis. . 

558 

615 

417 

+  10 

—25 

Springfield 

27 

505 

446 

•  • 

•• 

Woodstock 

1,482 

7,287 

5,924 

+392 

+300 

Windsor 

1,157 

1,868 

1,406 

+  61 

+  22 

Bethel 

546 

417 

309 

—24 

—43 

Chester                      "    .. 

1,045 

801 

651 

—23 

-38 

Royalton                    "   .. 





•• 

126 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   14  {Continued) 


1885-89 

1905- 

[909 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

Pur- 

Name oj  Church 

Dollars 

chasing 
Power  as 

In 

In 
Pur- 

and Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Dollars 

Com- 
pared 
withxSSs 
-1889 

Dol- 
lars 

chas- 
ing 
Power 

Norwich                 Epis . . 

Cavendish 

160 

204 

162 

+  28 

+  I 

Springfield  M.E 

1,662 

2,566 

2,267 

+  54 

+36 

Wilder            "   

627 

425 

White  River  Jet.  M.  E. 
and  Queechee      " 

1,891 

1,987 

1,346 

+  5 

—29 

Woodstock 

1,819 

1,269 

1,032 

—30 

—43 

Windsor                   " 

** 

752 

566 

Ludlow                    " 

940 

Q13 

693 

—  3 

—26 

Hartland                  " 

811 

1,020 

891 

+  26 

+  10 

Rochester                " 

1,500 

1,288 

981 

—14 

—35 

Cavendish                " 

719 

1,108 

882 

+  54 

+23 

Barnard                   " 

766 

782 

673 

+   2 

— 12 

Weston                    " 

564 

468 

436 

—17 

—23 

West  Windsor 

729 

1,148 

1,058 

+  57 

+45 

*  Did  not  report  expenditures  in  i{ 
**  Not  holding  services  in  1888 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES 


127 


TABLE   IS 

Average  Annual  Church  Expenditures  of  the  Different 

Townships  1885-1889  and  1905-1909 


1885-1889 

1905-1909 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

Name  of  Town 

Dollars 

and 
Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power  as 
compared 
with  1885 
-1889 

In 
Dollars 

In 

Purchas- 

ing 

Power 

Totals   with    Wood- 
stock   

50,931 
42,704 

65,679 
52,419 

52,635 
41,855 

+  29 
+  23 

+  3 
—  2 

Totals  omitting 
Woodstock 

Andover 

257 

766 

1,528 

352 

1,328 

3,668 

6,946 

1,695 

3,354 

1,182 

130 

463 

734 

2,316 

1,695 

1,021 

8,140 

344 

1,096 

929 

729 

4,031 

8,227 

453 

782 

1,600 

584 

2,155 

4,778 

8,557 

2,283 

5,574 

1,513 

189 

809 

375 

2,488 

2,396 

886 

8,279 

281 

1,222 

1,065 

1,148 

5,002 

13,260 

368 

673 

1,187 

503 

1,716 

3,885 

5,795 

1,994 

4,230 

1,139 

151 

745 

292 

1,894 

2,218 

777 

7,314 

207 

952 

992 

1,059 

3,764 

10,780 

+76 
+  2 
+  5 
+66 
+62 
+30 
+  23 
+35 
+66 
+  28 
+45 
+  75 
—49 
+  7 
+41 
—13 
+   2 
—18 
+  11 
+  15 
+57 
+  24 
+61 

+43 

Bethel . 

...  22 

Bridgewater 

Cavendish 

+43 
+  29 
+  6 
—17 
+  18 
+  26 
—  4 
+  16 
+61 
— 60 

Chester 

Hartford 

Hartland. . 

Ludlow 

Plymouth  . 

Pomfret 

Reading 

Rochester 

18 

+31 
—24 
— 10 
—40 
—13 
+  7 
+45 
—  7 
+31 

Sharon 

Springfield 

Stockbridge 

Weathersfield 

Weston 

West  Windsor 

Woodstock 

128  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

Benevolences.  Measured  in  dollars  32  churches  in 
Windsor  County  have  increased  their  gifts  for  benev- 
olences while  21  have  decreased  them.  Measured  in 
purchasing  power,  but  25  churches  have  increased  their 
gifts  while  28  have  decreased  them.  Taken  as  a  whole 
the  churches  of  the  county  have  decreased  their  contri- 
butions in  dollars  from  an  average  of  $10,986  in  the  first 
period  to  an  average  of  $8,625  in  the  second,  a  decrease 
of  21  per  cent.  If  we  eliminate  the  churches  of  Wood- 
stock, as  was  done  in  the  matter  of  expenditures  above, 
they  have  fallen  from  $7,585  in  the  first  period  to  $6,820 
in  the  second  period,  or  10  per  cent.  Expressed  in  terms 
of  purchasing  power  the  churches  of  the  county  gave 
an  average  each  year  of  $10,986  during  the  first  period 
and  an  equivalent  of  $6,964  in  the  second,  or  a  decrease 
of  37  per  cent.  If  we  ehminate  the  churches  of  Wood- 
stock as  before,  they  gave  $7,585  in  the  first  period  as 
against  $5,496  in  the  second,  a  decrease  of  27  per  cent. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  129 


TABLE   16 

Average  Annual  Benevolences  in  the  Individual  Churches, 
1885-1889  and  1905-1909 


Per  Cent 

1885-89 

1905- 

1909 

Gain  or  Loss 

Purchas- 

Dollars 

ing 

In 

Name  of  Church 

and 

Dollars 

Power  as 

In 

Purchas- 

Purchas- 

compared 

Dollars 

ing 

ing 

with  1885 

Power 

Power 

to  1889 

Totals   with   Wood- 

stock   

10,986 

8,62s 

6,964 

—  21 

—  37 

Totals  without 

Woodstock 

7,58s 

6,820 

5,496 

—  10 

—  27 

Springfield  Cong'l  . . 

2,682 

1,012 

894 

—  62 

-67 

Hartford        "       . . 

618 

235 

159 

—  62 

—  74 

Wilder            "       . . 

II 

85 

57 

+673 

+418 

Quechee         "       . . 

200 

SI 

34 

—  74 

-83 

West  Hartf'd  "       . . 

28 

29 

20 

+     4 

—  29 

Woodstock     " 

3,219 

1,331 

1,082 

—  59 

—  66 

Windsor          "       . . 

294 

127 

96 

—  57 

—  67 

Ludlow           "       . . 

181 

283 

215 

+  56 

+  19 

Bethel            "       . . 

47 

66 

49 

+  40 

+     4 

Chester          "       . . 

176 

199 

162 

+   13 

—    8 

So.  Royalton  " 

158 

57 

52 

-64 

—  67 

Royalton        "       . . 

173 

155 

144 

—  10 

—  17 

Hartland        "       . . 

58 

68 

60 

+  17 

+     3 

Rochester       " 

86 

100 

76 

+  16 

—  12 

Norwich         " 

273 

166 

125 

—  39 

—  54 

Ascutneyville" 

37 

82 

64 

+  122 

-h  73 

Weathersfield  Ctr. 

Cong'l 

7 

s 

4 

—  29 

—  43 

Bridgewater    Cong' 

57 

13 

11 

—  77 

—  8x 

Stockbridge          " 

29 

7 

5 

—  75 

—  83 

Pomfret               " 

14 

4Q 

45 

+  250 

+  221 

Weston                 " 

45 

34 

31 

—  24 

—  31 

Sharon                  " 

70 

18 

16 

—  74 

—  77 

I30 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   1 6    {Continued) 


Per  Cent 

1885-89 

1905- 

-1909 

Gain  or  Loss 

Purchas- 

Name of  Chu 

^^^        Dollars 

ing 

In 

and 

Dollars 

Power  as 

In 

Purchas- 

Purchas- 

compared 

Dollars 

ing 

ing 

with  1885 

Power 

Power 

to  1889 

Plymouth  Con 

?'l...           16 

6 

5 

-63 

-69 

Springfield  Bap 

tist  .          75 

114 

lOI 

+  52 

+  35 

Windsor 

'       .          66 

76 

57 

+  15 

—  14 

Ludlow             ' 

'        .        518 

884 

671 

+  71 

+  30 

Bethel 

•        .           28 

4 

3 

—  86 

-89 

Chester            * 

'        .         100 

547 

445 

+447 

+345 

Cavendish        * 

'                  47 

131 

104 

+  179 

+  121 

Weathersfield  ' 

91 

129 

lOI 

+  42 

+   II 

Weston 

'        .             3 

23 

21 

+667 

+600 

Sharon              ' 

'        .           18 

17 

15 

—    6 

—  17 

Reading           ' 

176 

14 

II 

—  92 

—  94 

Andover           ' 

19 

25 

20 

+  32 

+     5 

White  River  Jet 

. 

Epis 

25 

84 

57 

+236 

+  128 

Springfield    Ep 

is. . . 

37 

33 

Woodstock       ' 

63 

340 

277 

+440 

+340 

Windsor 

'     ..        147 

232 

175 

+  58 

+   19 

Bethel 

'     ..        117 

74 

54 

—  37 

—  54 

Chester            * 

'     ..          62 

54 

44 

—  13 

—  29 

Royalton          ' 

!  ••     '^ 

42 

39 

+  75 

+  63 

Norwich           ' 

Cavendish        ' 

'    '.'.  '      s 

15 

12 

+  200 

+  140 

Springfield  Met 

h....        286 

519 

458 

+  81 

+  60 

White  River  Jc 

t. 

Meth.  Epis. 

124 

248 

168 

+  100 

+  35 

Woodstock  Me 

th.  ..         119 

134 

109 

+  13 

—    8 

Windsor 

< 

57 

43 

Ludlow 

♦   ...          81 

104 

79 

+  28 

—    2 

Hartland 

54 

41 

35 

—  24 

—  35 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  13 1 


TABLE 

16   {Co 

ntinued) 

Per  Cent 

1885-89 

190S-1909 

Gain  or  Loss 

Purchas- 

Name of  Church 

Dollars 
and 

ing 
Power  as 

In 

In 
Purchas- 

Purchas- 

Dollars 

compared 

Dollars 

in, 

ing 

with  188s 

Power 

Power 

-1889 

Rochester    Meth... 

48 

126 

96 

+  163 

+  100 

Cavendish        "... 

42 

52 

41 

+  24 

—     2 

Barnard           "   ... 

49 

i6s 

142 

+237 

+  190 

Weston             "   ... 

44 

17 

16 

—  61 

—  64 

West  Windsor"   ... 

76 

142    1        131 

+  87 

+  72 

132 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   17 
Average  Annual  Benevolences  in  the  Different  Towns, 


1885-1889 

AND    I905-I909 

1S85-1889 

I905-I909 

Per  Cent 
Gain  or  Loss 

Name  of  Town 

Dollars 
and 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 

ing 

Power  as 

compared 

with  1885 

-1889 

In 
Dollars 

In 
Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Totals: 
With  Woodstock  . . . 
Without  Woodstock 

10,986 
7,58s 

8,625 
6,820 

6.964 
5,496 

— 21 
— 10 

—37 
—27 

Andover 

19 

49 

193 

57 

94 

338 

1,007 

112 

780 

273 

16 

13 

176 

133 

355 

25 

165 

144 

13 

198 

800 

733 

109 

1,271 

166 

6 

49 

14 

226 

254 

35 

1,682 

6 

216 

73 

142 

493 

1, 80s 

20 
142 
107 

II 
158 
650 
496 

95 

965 

125 

5 

45 

II 
172 
235 

30 
1,486 

5 

168 

68 

131 

371 

1,468 

+32 
+  237 

—25 

—77 
+  111 
+  137 

—27 

—  3 
+63 
—39 
—72 

+  277 
—92 
+  70 
—28 
—60 

—45 
—79 
+60 
— 22 
+  87 

—  3 
—47 

+  5 

Barnard 

+  190 

Bethel 

Bridgewater 

—45 

—81 
+68 

Chester  .... 

+92 

Hartford.  . . . 

— 51 

Hartland 

— IS 

Ludlow     .      . 

+24 

Norwich 

— 54 

—69 

Pomfret 

+246 

Reading 

— 94 

Rochester 

+  29 

Royalton 

— ^34 

Sharon 

88 

3,043 

29 

135 

93 

76 

506 

3.401 

—66 

Springfield 

Stockbridge 

Weathersfield 

Weston 

—51 
-83 
+24 
— 27 

West  Windsor 

Windsor 

+72 
— 27 

Woodstock 

— 57 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  133 

Ministers'  Salaries.  The  salaries  of  53  out  of  the  57 
ministers  in  the  county  are  here  considered.  During  the 
five  year  period  (1885-1889)  or  the  first  year  thereafter 
for  which  data  are  available,  if  the  rental  value  of  the 
parsonages  be  estimated  and  reckoned  in  as  a  part  of 
the  salary,  five  ministers  received  $400  or  less;  ten  re- 
ceived $500  or  less;  twenty- three,  $600  or  less;  thirty- 
four,  $700  or  less;  thirty-seven  $800  or  less;  while  the 
general  average  was  $710. 

Twenty  years  later  (i  905-1 909)  two  received  $400  or 
less;  four  received  $500  or  less;  fifteen  received  $600  or 
less;  twenty-one  received  $700  or  less;  thirty  received 
$800  or  less,  while  the  general  average  was  $814. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  in  purchasing  power  the 
salaries  of  the  second  period  were  from  7  to  32  per  cent 
less  than  salaries  of  the  same  number  of  dollars  twenty 
years  before.  For  example,  in  the  town  of  Hartford,  a 
salary  of  $636  during  the  first  period  was  as  good  as  a 
salary  of  $1,000  in  the  year  1909. 

The  following  figures  cover  all  the  churches  in  Wind- 
sor County  which  attempt  to  furnish  support  for  a 
minister: 

Of  the  53  churches  considered,  only  7  gave  less  dollars 
at  the  end  of  the  twenty  year  period  than  at  the  be- 
ginning.    It  is  highly  probable,  therefore,  that  the 


134 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


people  in  the  great  majority  of  these  churches  believe 
they  are  giving  salaries  at  least  as  large  as  they  were 
twenty  years  ago.    The  facts  are  otherwise. 

In  only  19  of  the  53  churches  is  the  purchasing  power 
of  the  salaries  now  as  great  as  it  was  twenty  years  ago. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  64  per  cent  of  the  ministers  are 
receiving  salaries  worth  less  to-day  than  were  those  of 
twenty  years  ago. 


TABLE  18  A  (Summary) 
Increase  and  Decrease  in  Ministers'  Salaries 


1885-1889 

1905-1909 

Increase  or  De- 
crease per  Cent 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

In 
Dollars 

In 
Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Received    by 
ministers  of 
churches  for 
which    data 
are  reported 
for  1885-89 
and  1905-09 

27,756 

27.756 

32,721 

25,871 

+  18 

—7 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  135 

TABLE    18  A   (Continued) 


Year  Nearest 
1885-89 /or  Which 
Data  are  Reported 

1905-1909 

Increase  or  De- 
crease Per  Cent 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

In 

Dollars 

In 
Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Received    by 
ministers  of 
churches  not 
reporting  for 
years   1885- 
89 

8,690 

8,402 

9,547 

7,744 

+  10 

—8 

Totals 

For  Earlier  Periods 

For  Later  Period 

Increase  or  De- 
crease per  Cent 

' 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

36,446 

36,158      42,268 

33,615 

+  16 

—7 

136 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE  18  B 


Increase  or  Decrease  in  the  Average  Annual  Salaries 
OF  Ministers — 1885-1889  and  1905-1909 


1885-89 

1905-09 

1905-09 

Increase  or  Decrease 
Per  Cent 

Purchas- 
ing Power 
and 
Dollars 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing Power 
as  Com- 
pared with 
85-89 

In 

Dollars 

In 
Purchas- 
ing Power 

Total 

27.756 

32,721 

25,871 

+  18 

Springfield  Cong'l 

Hartford          "       

Quechee          "       

Ludlow            "       

Bethel             "       

Chester           "       

Royalton         "       

Hartland         "       

Rochester       "       

Norwich          "       

Sharon             "       

Springfield  Baptist 

Ludlow            "       

Cavendish       "       

Perkinsville     "       

White  River  Jet.  Epis. 

Woodstock 

Windsor 

Bethel 

Chester 

Springfield           Meth. 

White  River  Jet.     " 

Woodstock 

Ludlow                     " 

Bethel  ist                 " 

Bethel  2d                  " 

So.  Royalton            " 

Hartland 

Rochester                 " 

1,540 
1,000 

800 +P 
1,000— P 

900 

900 

600-P 

600+P 

68s 

500+P 

500 +P 

780 

900— P 

soo 

500 

538-P 
1,150 

706 

571 

971 
1,050 

906 

910 

645 

395 

370 

673 

633 

695 

1,612 
1,040 

880 +P 
1,150 

901 
1,125 

387-P 

595 +P 

80s 

684 +P 

600+P 

580 
1,030 

773 

575 

900— P 
1,320 
1,030 

886 
1,121 
1,300 
1,100 

969 

750 

51s 

746 

725 

545 

745 

1,424 

704 

596 +P 

873 

668 

915 

358-P 

520+P 

613 

540+P 

514+P 

512 

782 

6S5 

448 

680-P 
1,073 

775 

6S7 

911 
1.148 

712 

788 

569 

382 

554 

632 

476 

567 

+     5 
+     4 
+  10 
+  15 
+     I 

+    2S 

-36 

—  I 
+  18 
+  37 
+  20 

—  26 
+  14 
+  55 
+  15 
+  67 
+  15 
+  46 
+  55 
+  16 
+  24 
+  21 

+  30 
+102 
+    8 

—  14 
+     7 

—  8 

—  30 

—  26 

—  13 

—  26 
+     2 

—  40 

—  13 

—  II 
+    8 
+     3 

—  34 

—  13 
+  31 

—  10 
+  26 

—  7 
+  10 
+  IS 

—  6 
+     9 

—  21 

—  13 

—  12 

—  3 
+  SO 

—  6 

—  25 

—  18 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES 
TABLE    i8b   {Continued) 


137 


1885-89 

1905-09 

190S-09 

Increase  or  Decrease 
Per  Cent 

Purchas- 
ing Power 
and 
Dollars 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing Power 
as  Com- 
pared with 
85-89 

In 
Dollars 

In 

Purchas- 
ing Power 

Norwich                Meth. . 

60s 

649 

46s 

+    7 

—  23 

Proctorsville             " 

618 

910 

678 

+  47 

+  10 

Perkinsville               " 

538 

S02 

391 

—     7 

—  27 

Barnard                     " 

629 

591 

508 

—    6 

—  19 

Gaysville                   " 

416 

442 

353 

+    6 

—  15 

Stockbridge 

541 

610 

411 

+  13 

—  24 

Weston 

430 

547 

510 

+  27 

+  19 

West  Windsor 

614 

740 

683 

+  21 

+  11 

Reading                    " 

347 

581 

453 

+  67 

+  31 

Woodstock  Christian 

500— P 

800— P 

6S0-P 

+  60 

+  30 

Windsor  Unitarian 

600— P 

960— P 

723— P 

+  60 

+  21 

138 


THE  COUNTRY   CHURCH 


TABLE   i8c 

Increase  and  Decrease  in  Ministers'  Salaries  in  Churches 
NOT  Reporting  for  Period  i  885-1 889 


Increase 

A  verage  A  nnual  Salary 

or  De- 

Purchasing 

in  Period 

I 905-1 909 

Dollars  Given 
in  Year  Near- 
est 85-S9  for 

Power  of 

Salary  in 

Year  Nearest 

Pcr  Cent 

In  Pur- 

which  Data 

85-89  for 

chasing 

J2 

II 

are  Reported 

which  Data 

In  Dollars 

Power  as 

,«l 

are  Reported 

Compared 
with  85-89 

%^ 

■2.1 

Totals 

8,690 

8,402 

9.547 

7,744 

+10 

—  8 

West  Hartford 

Cong'I 

(93)     400— P 

(93)     366-P 

S38-P 

407 

+35 

+11 

Wilder 

(93)     600 

(93)     549 

640 

433 

+  7 

— 21 

Woodstock      " 

(90)  I,200+P 

(90)  1,162+P 

1,400+P 

i,i8o+P 

+17 

+  2 

Windsor 

(00)  i,ooo+P 

(00)     897 +P 

I,020+P 

768 +P 

+  2 

—14 

So.  Royalton  " 

(05)   700+p 

(05)     712+P 

740+P 

726+P 

+  6 

+  2 

Bridge-water    " 

(89)  600— p 

(89)     600— P 

725 

624 

+21 

+  4 

Pomfret           " 

(05)     6oc^P 

(05)     594— P 

eoo-p 

S52-P 

—  7 

Weston            " 

(98)     350-P 

(98)     360-P 

360-p 

335— P 

+  '3 

—  7 

Windsor  Baptist 

(90)     600 

(90)     627 

670 

504 

+12 

— 20 

Chester           " 

(95)     900 

(95)     895 

1,02s 

833 

+14 

—  7 

Wilder     Meth. 

(95)     450+P 

(95)     445 +P 

410+p 

278+P 

—  9 

-38 

Windsor 

(95)     690 

(95)     655 

819 

616 

+19 

—  6 

Chester  Univ.  . . 

(03)     6oc^P 

(03)     S40— P 

600— p 

488— P 

— 10 

— P  indicates  that  no  parsonage  is  provided  by  the  church. 

-|-P  indicates  that  a  parsonage  is  provided  for  the  minister  rent  free  in  addition 
to  the  salary  as  here  givfen. 

Where  not  otherwise  indicated,  the  figures  in  this  table  include  the  estimated 
rental  value  of  parsonage. 


Other  Expenditures.  In  the  survey  of  Windsor 
County  no  figures  were  gathered  for  classes  of  expendi- 
tures other  than  benevolences  and  ministers'  salaries. 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ACTIVITIES  139 

These  constitute  the  only  large  classes  of  expenditures 
except  those  for  buildings  and  improvements  on  church 
property.  With  so  considerable  a  decline  in  benevo- 
lences and  ministers'  salaries,  and  so  small  a  change  in 
the  amount  of  total  expenditures  there  must  inevitably 
have  been  an  increase  in  the  remaining  expenditures, 
that  is,  for  heating,  lighting,  janitor  work,  incidental 
expenses,  and  repairs  to  buildings.  The  church  build- 
ings as  a  rule  are  in  good  condition,  and  it  is  less  difficult 
to  secure  money  for  repairs  and  permanent  improve- 
ments on  church  properties  than  for  ministers'  salaries 
and  benevolences. 

6.   EDUCATIONAL  EQUIPMENT  OF  THE  MINISTERS 

Information  was  obtained  concerning  the  educational 
equipment  of  48  of  the  57  pastors  of  the  county.  Of 
these,  1 1  have  received  either  college  or  seminary  train- 
ing of  five  or  six  years.  Six  others  have  privately  pur- 
sued courses  of  study  prescribed  by  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Conferences.  Less  than  two-thirds  of  the 
ministers  have  received  what  by  any  ordinary  standard 
could  be  regarded  as  an  adequate  training,  while  only 
12,  or  25  per  cent,  have  completed  the  full  college  and 
seminary  course  of  seven  years  which  a  reasonably  high 
standard  of  ministerial  education  requires. 


I40  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

7.   ACTIVITIES  or   THE  DENOMINATIONS 

Table  19  shows  that  in  number  of  attendants  the 
Congregational  churches  rank  first  in  the  county,  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  second,  the  Baptist 
churches  third,  the  Universalist  fourth,  the  Episcopal 
fifth. 

Of  the  five  larger  denominations  the  Episcopal 
Church  ranks  first  in  percentage  of  gain  in  membership, 
with  its  increase  in  twenty  years  of  21  per  cent.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  ranks  second  with  17 
per  cent,  the  Congregational  churches  third  with  a  gain 
of  4  per  cent,  while  the  Baptist  churches  have  lost 
14  per  cent. 

In  maintaining  attendance  the  Episcopal  Church 
again  stands  first,  with  a  gain  of  4  per  cent.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  lost  27  per  cent,  the 
Congregational  churches  28  per  cent,  the  Baptist 
churches  39  per  cent,  while  the  Universalists  have  lost 
no  less  than  50  per  cent. 

Table  20  shows  that  in  real  expenditures  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  is  the  only  denomination  which 
has  gained.  When  expressed  in  purchasing  power  the 
increase  is  7  per  cent.  The  Congregational  churches 
have  declined  2  per  cent  reckoning  in  purchasing  power, 


WINDSOR  COUNTY— ACTIVITIES 


141 


the  Baptist  11  per  cent,  the  Episcopal  Church  11  per 
cent.  These  figures  do  not  include  those  for  the 
churches  of  Woodstock. 


TABLE  19 

Gains  and  Losses  in  Membership  and  Attendance  by  De- 
nominations IN  Windsor  County 


Membership 

Attendance 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

1888 

1908 

1888 

1908 

Member- 
ship 

Attend- 
ance 

Totals 

4,688 

4,889 

8,003 

5,537 

+  4 

31 

Congregati( 
Methodist. 
Baptist.  . . 

3nal  . . 

2,176 
1,191 
1,008 

313 

2,257 

1,388 
864 

380 

2,80s 
1,974 

985 
1,143 

419 

174 

66 

159 

278 

2,021 

1,448 

604 

624 

435 

107 

80 

66 

152 

+  4 
+  17 
—14 

+  21 

—28 

27 

Universalist 

Episcopal.  .  - . 

39 
—45 
+  4 
—39 
+21 
-58 
—45 

Christian. . 
Unitarian  * 
Advent . . . 
Union.  .  . . 



*  There  is  only  one  Unitarian  church  in  the  county. 


142 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   20 


Expenditures   by   Denominations   Expressed   in   Dollars 
AND  IN  Purchasing  Power  for  1885-1889  and  1905-1909 

TOTAL  EXPENDITURES 


1885-1889 

1905-09 

1905-1909 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

Dollars 

and 

Purchasing 

Power 

Dollars 

Purchasing 

Power 
compared 

with 
1885-89 

In 
Dollars 

In 
Picrchas- 

ing 
Power 

Totals 

42,704 

52,419 

41,855 

+23 

—  2 

Congregational . 

Methodist 

Baptist 

Episcopal 

21,423 
9,582 
8,206 
3,493 

26,230 
12,659 
9,120 
4,410 

20,974 

10,218 

7,272 

3,391 

+  22 
+32 
+  11 
+  26 

—  2 
+  7 
— II 

—  3 

BENEVOLENCES 


Totals 

7,585 

6,820 

5,496 

— 10 

— 27 

Congregational . 

Methodist 

Baptist 

Episcopal 

5,260 
804 

1,141 
380 

2,847 

1,471 

1,964 

538 

2,324 

1,209 

1,549 

414 

-46 
+83 
+72 
+42 

-56 

+  50 
+36 
+  9 

WINDSOR  COUNTY— OVER-CHURCHING       143 
TABLE   20   (Continued) 
SALARIES 


Earlier  Periods 

Later  Periods 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 

ing 
Power 

In 

Dollars 

In 
Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Totals.      .    .    . 

36,446 

36,158 

42,268 

33,615 

+  16 

—  7 

Congregational  . . 

Methodist 

Baptist  . 

14,475 

12,155 

4,180 

600 

3,936 

500 

600 

14,265 

12,115 

4,202 

540 

3,936 

500 

600 

15,802 

14,196 

4,653 

600 

5,257 
800 
960 

12,750 

11,174 

3,734 

488 

4,096 

650 

723 

+  9 
+  17 
+  11 

+34 
+60 
+60 

— II 
—  8 
— 11 

Universalist 

Episcopal 

Christian 

Unitarian 

— 10 

+  4 
+30 
+  21 

8.   OVER-CHURCHING 


There  are  16  one-church  communities  in  the  county, 
for  one  of  which  we  have  no  data.  Of  the  remaining 
15,  7  sustained  a  greater  loss  in  church  attendance  than 
did  the  average  church  in  the  county.  This  shows  that 
over-churching  is  by  no  means  the  sole  cause  of  church 
decline.  One  of  the  remaining  8  has  sustained  a  loss  no 
greater  than  that  of  the  average  church,  while  the  other 
7  have  all  held  their  own  in  church  attendance  very 
much  better  than  the  average. 


144  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

There  are  only  2  one-church  townships  in  the 
county:  In  one  of  these,  West  Windsor,  the  relative 
loss  in  attendance  is  less  than  9  per  cent;  the  total 
expenditures  have  increased  45  per  cent;  the  benevo- 
lences have  increased  73  per  cent;  while  the  salary  of 
the  minister  has  also  increased.  This  is  the  best  record 
for  any  community  or  town  in  the  county  except  that 
of  Pomfret,  the  other  one-church  township.  After 
making  allowance  for  the  numerical  decrease  in  the 
population,  Pomfret  has  made  a  relative  gain  of  13  per 
cent  in  attendance;  the  total  expenditures  have  in- 
creased nearly  17  per  cent;  the  benevolences  have 
made  a  still  greater  increase;  while  the  membership 
has  increased  nearly  139  per  cent. 

Among  the  smaller  communities  those  with  a  single 
church  are  the  only  ones  with  a  spirit  of  good  cheer  in 
church  matters.  The  only  township  in  Windsor  County 
which  has  made  a  relative  gain  in  church  attendance, 
and  has  also  gained  in  benevolences  and  in  total  ex- 
penditures is  a  one-church  township,  while  another 
one-church  township  stands  second  in  these  respects. 


Ill 

TOMPKINS   COUNTY 


I.  THE  LOCALITY  AND  THE  PEOPLE 

Tompkins  County  lies  somewhat  west  and  south  of 
the  centre  of  New  York  State.  North  and  South  its 
extent  is  about  26  miles,  East  and  West  about  23.  The 
county  consists  of  a  high  plateau,  deeply  cut  by  the 
valleys  of  the  streams.  The  soil  of  the  northern  part  is 
a  rich  loam,  that  of  the  southern  half  a  silt  loam,  much 
less  productive.  The  southern  half  was  at  one  time  a 
region  of  abandoned  farms. 

An  agricultural  survey  of  the  county  had  just  been 
completed  by  Cornell  University,  when  this  investiga- 
tion began,  according  to  which  (pp.  393-394) : 

''Most  of  the  agriculture  is  general  farming.  The 
most  important  products  are  hay,  milk,  oats,  potatoes, 
eggs,  corn,  wheat  and  buckwheat.  The  crop  yield 
averages  a  little  above  the  average  of  the  state  and 
considerably  above  the  average  for  the  United  States. 
The  milk  production  per  cow,  and  egg  production 
per  hen,  are  a  little  above  the  state  average.  On 
the  whole,  the  county  may  be  said  to  represent  about 
the  average  of  the  state.    The  northern  part  of  the 

147 


148  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

county  is  better  and  the  southern  part  poorer,  than  the 
average." 

With  the  exception  of  the  city  of  Ithaca,  which  lies  in 
the  central  township  of  the  nine  the  county  contains, 
Tompkins  is  a  rural  county.  Besides  Ithaca  there  are 
but  three  communities  with  more  than  700  inhabitants. 
Agriculture  is  the  chief  industry. 

The  changes  in  population  given  in  Table  21  are 
taken  from  the  reports  of  the  United  States  Census. 

The  people  of  the  county  are  mostly  the  descendants 
of  pioneers  who  came  from  Virginia,  Maryland,  Con- 
necticut, Rhode  Island,  Pennsylvania,  Vermont,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  from  the  earlier  settled  portions  of 
New  York.  The  various  townships  were  organized 
from  1799  to  1817.  Settlement  began  in  all  of  them 
about  the  year  1800.  It  will  be  observed  that  in  the 
censuses  from  1820  to  1850,  the  neighboring  township 
of  Hector  was  included  in  Tompkins  County.  If  we 
omit  the  figures  for  Hector  and  for  the  city  and  town- 
ship of  Ithaca,  it  appears  that  the  population  reached 
its  maximum  of  26,646  in  1840.  It  has  declined  steadily 
ever  since  to  its  present  level  of  but  little  more  than 
half — 17,577  in  1910.  Every  town  but  one  attained  its 
maximum  population  by  1850,  and  has  declined  in 
population  since  1890,  and  also  since  1900.    The  excep- 


TOMPKINS    COUNTY 


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TOMPKINS  COUNTY— THE  LOCALITY         151 

tion  is  the  town  of  Lansing,  whose  population  has  been 
increased  by  the  estabHshment  of  two  manufacturing 
industries. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  population  of  every  town  was 
smaller  in  the  year  19 10  than  it  was  between  the  years 
1880  and  1890.  Every  township  of  the  8  has  declined 
25  per  cent  or  more  below  its  maximum,  and  this  in  a 
county  which  is  above  the  average  in  its  agricultural 
productiveness,  and  in  accessibility  to  markets  for  its 
products,  Ithaca  being  but  275  miles  from  New  York. 

The  settlement  of  Tompkins  County  was  followed  at 
a  very  early  date  by  religious  activities.  The  circuit 
riders  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  preachers 
of  the  Baptist,  Dutch  Reformed,  and  Presbyterian 
churches  were  early  on  the  ground,  and  in  several  of 
the  townships  the  establishment  of  churches  antedated 
the  organization  of  the  town  government.  At  the 
present  time  there  are  in  the  county  nearly  30  preaching 
places  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  where 
services  are  held  at  least  once  every  two  weeks,  9 
Baptist,  I  Free  Will  Baptist,  i  Old  School  Baptist,  5 
Congregational,  6  Episcopal,  2  Christian,  and  2  Uni- 
versalist  churches.  There  is  also  i  Society  of  Friends, 
and  I  Wesleyan  Methodist  Church.  The  Presbyterian 
churches  are  3  in  number  with  4  preaching  places.    In 


152 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


all  there  are  62  preaching  places  now  as  against  60 
twenty  years  ago.  There  are  also  3  Roman  Catholic 
churches.  These  figures  include  none  of  the  churches  in 
the  township  or  city  of  Ithaca. 

Five  Presbyterian  churches,  4  Baptist,  2  Episcopa- 
Han,  I  Swedenborgian,  i  Dutch  Reformed,  and  i  Chris- 
tian,— 14  in  all, — ^have  become  extinct. 

TABLE  22 
Decline  of  Population  in  Tompkins  County 


Year  of 
Maximum 
Population 

Maximum 
Population 

Population 
in  1910 

Decline 
per  Cent 

County.* 

1840 

26,646 

17,557 

34 

Lansing 

Dryden 

Groton 

Danby 

Enfield 

Newfield 

Caroline 

Ulysses 

1830 
1840 
1840 
1840 
1840 
1850 
1850 
1880 

4,020 
5,446 
3,618 
2,570 
2,340 
3,816 
2,537 
3,458 

2,676 
3,590 
3,289 
1,235 
1,000 
1,509 
1,646 
2,612 

33 
34 
9 
52 
57 
60 
35 
24 

Omitting  Ithaca  and  Hector 


2.   MEMBERSHIP 


Membership  statistics  were  obtained  for  all  but  six 
of  the  churches  in  Tompkins  County  for  the  year  1890 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— MEMBERSHIP  153 

and  for  the  year  19 10.  Nineteen  churches  and  charges 
have  gained  in  membership,  while  17  have  lost.  (All 
of  the  churches  under  one  pastor  are  regarded  as 
constituting  one  charge).  Since  membership  is  re- 
ported for  charges  rather  than  for  churches,  it  was 
not  possible  to  ascertain  the  membership  of  some  of 
the  individual  churches.  In  Table  23,  which  gives 
membership  by  towns,  the  membership  of  each  charge 
has  been  divided  between  the  churches  composing  it 
in  the  ratio  of  attendance  at  the  churches  constituting 
the  charge.  This  method  is  not  strictly  accurate;  yet 
the  charges  which  are  composed  of  churches  in  different 
towns  are  so  few  that  its  results  can  not  be  far  from 
correct. 

In  5  of  the  8  townships  there  has  been  an  increase 
in  the  total  membership  of  the  church;  in  3  a  decline. 
The  total  membership  was  4,039  in  the  year  1890  and 
4,102  in  the  year  19 10,  or  a  gain  in  the  twenty  year 
period  of  1.56  per  cent. 


154 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   23 

Membership  of  the  Individual  Churches  in  1890  ANt)  in  19 10 
AND  THE  Gain  or  Loss  per  Cent  for  Each  in  Twenty  Years 


1890 


1910 


Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 


Total 


4,039 


4,102 


+     2 


Meth.  Epis.  .. 


Churches  of  Caroline 

Slaterville  Meth.  Episcopal 

Speedsville  Meth.  Episcopal. . . 

Brookton  Baptist 

Brookton  Congregational , 

Slaterville  Episcopal 

Speedsville  Episcopal 

Churches  of  Danby 

Danby  and  So.  Danby  Meth.  E 

West  Danby  Meth.  Episcopal .  , 

West  Danby  Baptist 

Danby  Congregational 

Churches  of  Dryden 

Dryden  Meth.  Episcopal 

Freeville 

West  Dryden 
Varna  Meth.  Episcopal. . . 

Etna  Baptist 

Dryden  Presbyterian 

Dryden  Episcopal 

Churches  of  Enfield 

Enfield  Meth.  Episcopal 

Enfield  Baptist. . .  .■ 

Enfield  Christian 

Churches  of  Groton 

Groton  Meth.  Epis 

McLean 

Groton  City 

Groton  City  Congregational 

Peruville  Meth.  Epis 

Groton  Baptist 


Meth.  Epis. 


124 

162 

100 

96 


338 
50 
40 
97 

89 
55* 
43* 
80 
49 
147 


90 
71 
12 

142 
S6 

17* 
155 


98 
79 
66 
43 
30 
8 

155 
65 
68 

109 

103* 

90 
105 

63 
219 

18 

117 
93 
46 

113 

7* 
62 

15 
162 


—  21 

—  51 

—  34 

—  55 

-64 

—  54 
+  30 
+  70 
+  12 

+  16 

—  8 
+  31 
+  28 
+  49 


+  30 
+  31 
+  283 


87 


+   '5 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 
TABLE   23    {Cotttinued) 


155 


1890 

1910 

37 

51 

252 

191 

94 

138 

30 

20 

10 

146 

132 

55* 

47 

98 

19 

14(09) 

109 

85 

38 

58 

191 

162 

94 

65 

62 

68 

200 

225 

82 

i6s 

301 

306 

200 

261 

86 

80 

Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 


McLean  Baptist 

Groton  Congregational , 

West  Groton  Congregational. 

Groton  Episcopal 

McLean  Episcopal 

Churches  of  Lansing 

Ludlowville  &  Lansingville  . . 

Asbury  Meth. 

No.  Lansing  &  East  Genoa 

No.  Lansing,  Asbury 

and  East  Genoa     Meth. 

No.  Lansing  Baptist 

East  Lansing     "      

Ludlowville  Presbyterian 

Churches  of  Newfield 

Newfield  Meth.  Episcopal 

Newfield  Baptist 

Newfield  Presbyterian 

Newfield  Christian 

Churches  of  Ulysses 

Trumansburg  Meth.  Episcopal 

Jacksonville  Meth.  Episcopal.. 

Trumansburg  Baptist 

Trumansburg  Presbyterian  .  .  . 

Trumansburg  Episcopal 


+  38 

—  24 
+  47 

—  50 


—  4 

—  26 

—  22 
+  53 

—  15 


+  10 

+  13 
+  101 
+  2 
+  31 
—  7 


*  Estimated  by  dividing  reported  membership  of  each  charge  ac- 
cording to  the  proportion  of  number  of  attendants  of  the  churches 
constituting  the  chai;ge. 


156 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   24 

Membership  of  the  Churches  of  Each  Township  in  the 
Years  1890  and  1910  and  the  Gain  or  Loss  per  Cent  for 
Each  Town  in  Twenty  Years 


1890 

1910 

Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 

4,039 

4,102 

+  2 

504 

324 

-36 

525 
463 
173 

397 
598 
256 

—24 
+  29 

+48 

773 
414 
318 
869 

779 

387 

324 

1,037 

+  I 
—  7 
+   2 
+  19 

County  . 

Caroline 
Danby.  . 
Dryden  , 
Enfield.  , 
Groton.  , 
Lansing. 
Newfield 
Ulysses  . 


TABLE   25 
Total  Number  of  Farms  and  Tenants  in  1890  and  1910 


Year 

Total  Faryns 

Number  Tenants 

Per  Cent 

1890 
1910 

3,312 
2,988 

661 
640 

20 
21.4 

3.   ATTENDANCE 

Better  evidence  was  available  as  to  the  increase  or 
decrease  in  church  attendance  for  Windsor  County  than 
for  Tompkins  County,  where  the  habit  of  recording 
congregation  counts  has  not  prevailed.  Yet  the  ac- 
curacy of  the  method  of  ascertaining  decrease  in  at- 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE  157 

tendance  was  so  thoroughly  confirmed  by  actual  counts 
in  Windsor  County,  and  the  general  opinion  of  Tomp- 
kins County  is  so  overwhelmingly  in  accord  with  the 
results  obtained  by  the  use  of  the  Gill  method,  that 
they  may  be  accepted  as  accurate.  (For  a  description 
of  the  method  see  p.  97.) 

It  should  be  noted  that  in  Windsor  County  the  lists 
of  taxpayers  include  all  who  paid  poll  taxes  as  well  as 
all  property  owners,  while  the  lists  used  in  Tompkins 
County  included  only  those  who  paid  a  property  tax. 
This  raised  the  question  as  to  whether  the  work  based 
on  the  lists  for  Tompkins  County  would  give  results 
as  rehable  as  those  for  Windsor  County.  If,  however, 
it  could  be  shown  that  the  number  of  taxpayers  kept 
the  same  relation  to  the  total  number  of  families  for 
twenty  years,  the  difference  in  the  tax  lists  would  be 
without  effect  on  the  accuracy  of  the  method.  The 
United  States  census  reports  show  that  there  has  been 
only  1.4  per  cent  increase  of  tenants  on  the  farms  in  the 
last  twenty  years,  and  therefore  undoubtedly  no  ap- 
preciable change  in  the  number  of  taxpayers'  families 
in  relation  to  the  total  population  as  shown  by 
Table  25: 

The  results  of  the  investigation  in  Tompkins  County 
show  that  in  all  of  the  8  townships  outside  of  the 


158  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

city  and  township  of  Ithaca  there  has  been  a  decline  in 
attendance  of  from  13  to  54  per  cent,  or  an  average  of 
about  33  per  cent  for  the  period.  There  was,  however, 
a  decHne  of  population  in  the  various  towns  of  from  8 
to  32  per  cent,  or  an  average  of  14  per  cent  in  the  twenty- 
years.  Making  allowance  for  this  change,  the  relative 
loss  in  church  attendance  varies  from  1.5  to  42  per  cent 
in  the  different  towns,  or  for  the  county  a  total  loss  in 
relation  to  population  of  22  per  cent  in  the  twenty  years. 
These  figures  require  to  be  still  further  modified,  but 
very  slightly,  by  allowing  for  the  small  number  of  non- 
Protestant  people  in  the  county.  When  such  allowance 
is  made  the  net  loss  varies  in  the  different  towns  from 
1.2  per  cent  to  42.1  per  cent,  or  an  average  of  19.5 
per  cent  for  the  county  in  twenty  years. 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY— ATTENDANCE 


159 


TABLE  26 

Relative  Losses  in  Attendance 


Attendance 

Population 

Gain  or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

Per  Cent 
of  Popu- 
lation 

1890 

1910 

1890 

1910 

Attend- 
ance 

Popula- 
tion 

Attend- 
ing 
Church 
in  1890 

County.  . . 

4,304 

2,878 

20,480 

17,557 

—33 

—14 

21.02 

Caroline  . . 
Danby  .  . . 
Dryden.  .  . 
Enfield  . . . 
Groton  . . . 
Lansing . . . 
Newfield.  . 
Ulysses  . .  . 

486 
524 
662 
288 
813 
432 
517 
582 

223 

315 

488 
173 
582 
30s 
28s 
507 

2,092 
1,707 
4.043 
1,393 
3,572 
2,50s 
2,214 
2,954 

1,646 
1,235 
3,590 
1,000 
3,289 
2,676 
1,509 
2,612 

—54 
—40 
—26 
—40 
—28 
—29 
—45 
—13 

— 21 
—28 
— II 
—28 
—  8 
+  7 
—32 
— 12 

23.23 
30.70 
16.37 
20.67 
22.76 
17.25 
23-35 
19.70 

Number 

Percent- 

Non-Protestant 

Protestant 

Less  than 

age  of 

Population 

Population 

*Normal 
Attend- 

Normal 
Attend- 

Decline 
Below 

ance 

ance 

Normal 

1910 

1910 

Attend- 
ance 

1890 

1910 

1890 

I9I0 

County. .. 

3,690 

812 

22 

635 

867 

19,84s 

16,690 

Caroline  . . 

382 

159 

42 

42 

20 

2,OSO 

1,626 

Danby  .  . . 

379 

64 

17 

SI 

28 

1,656 

1,207 

Dryden  .  . 

588 

100 

17 

62 

17 

3,981 

3,573 

Enfield  . . . 

207 

34 

16 

3 

3 

1,390 

997 

Groton  . . . 

749 

167 

22 

174 

169 

3,398. 

3,120 

Lansing... 

462 

157 

34 

80 

368 

2,42s 

2,308 

Newfield.  . 

352 

67 

19 

60 

2,214 

1,449 

Ulysses  . . . 

515 

8 

2 

223 

202 

2,731 

2,410 

*  Same  per  cent  of  population  as  were  attending  church  in  1890. 


i6o 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   26   {Continued) 


Gain  or 

Per  Cent  of 

Normal 

Number 

PerCentBe- 

Loss  in 

Prot.  Pop. 

Number  of 
Attendants 

Less  than 

low  Normal 

Protestant 

Attending 

Normal 

or  Decline 

Population 

Church  in 
1890 

in  19 10 

Attendance 
in  1910 

Relative  to 

County 

—16 

21.69 

3,620 

742 

20.5 

Caroline.  .  . 

— 21 

23-7 

385 

162 

42. 

Danby.  . . . 

—27 

31.6 

381 

66 

17. 

Dryden. . . . 

— 10 

16.6 

593 

105 

18. 

Enfield.... 

—28 

20.7 

206 

33 

16. 

Groton 

—  8 

23-9 

746 

164 

22. 

Lansing.  .  . 

—  5 

17.8 

411 

106 

26. 

Newfield... 

—35 

23-4 

339 

54 

16. 

Ulysses.... 

— 12 

21.3 

513 

6 

I. 

TABLE   27 

Change  in  Attendance  in  the  Individual  Churches  or 
Preaching  Places 


1890 

1910 

Gain  or 

Loss 
per  Cent 

Totals 

4,304 

2,878 

— ^^ 

Churches  of  Caroline  , 

Slaterville        Meth.  Epis.  . . 
Central  Chapel           "     ... 
Caroline                       "     ... 
Caroline  Centre          "     ... 
Speedsville                  "     ... 
Brookton  Baptist 

140 

40 

53 
36 
90 
68 

46 
9 
30 
24 
II 
38 
44 
14 

-67 
—77 

-55 

-69 
— ';8 

Slaterville  Episcopal 

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE  l6i 

TABLE   27   {Continued) 


Gain  or 

1890 

1910 

Loss 
per  Cent 

Speedsville  Episcopal 

32 

6 

— 8i 

Union  Valley  Christian 

41 

Churches  of  Danby 

So.  Danby       Meth.  Epis. . . 

85 

63 

— 26 

Morris  Chapel 

48 

43 

— 10 

Smiley  Hill 

28 



No.  Danby 

75 

50 

—33 

Jersey  HiU 

14 



West  Danby 

65 

37 

—43 

West  Danby  Baptist 

64 

33 

—48 

Danby  Congregational 

167 

109 

—35 

Churches  of  Dryden 

Dryden           Meth.  Epis.  . . 

95 

74 

— 22 

Freeville                  " 

96 

86 

— 10 

West  Dryden 

59 

39 

—34      • 

Varna 

70 

37 

—47 

Ellis 

44 

36 

—18 

Ftna          Baotist 

54 

31 

—43 

Snvder  HiU     *'     

44 

18 

—59 

i^kijf  yj-\^i.    xxi*i                     •• 

Dryden  Presbyterian 

138 

153 

+  11 

Drvden  EoiscoDal 

14 

Churches  of  Enfield 

Enfield               Meth.  Epis. . 

66 

46 

—30 

Kennedys  Cors.         " 

36 

32 

— II 

Enfield  Falls 

23 

15 

—35 

Enfield  Baptist 

68 

36 

—47 

Enfield  Christian 

71 

22 

-69 

Churches  of  Groton 

Groton  Meth.  Episcopal ... . 

lOI 

79 

— 22 

McLean         "           

49 

5 

—90 

Groton  City  Meth.  Epis. 
"    Cong'l 

35 

39 

+11 

Peruville  Meth.  Episcopal. . 

30 

9 

—70 

Groton    Baptist 

III 

78 

—30 

l62 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE    27    {Continued) 


Gain  or 

1890 

1910 

Loss 
per  Cent 

McLean  Baptist 

46 

25 

—46 

Groton  Congregational 

193 

143 

—26 

West  Groton        "         

lOI 

78 

—23 

Groton  Episcopal 

24 

McLean        "     

57 

8 

—86 

McLean  Univ 

64 

62 

—  3 

Pleasant  Valley  Wesleyan  . . . 

47 

38 

—19 

Churches  of  Lansing 

Ludlowville  Meth.  Episcopal 

77 

35 

-55 

Lansingville          "          

84 

72 

—14 

Asbury                   "          

74 

57 

—23 

No.  Lansing          "          .... 

48 

29 

—40     ' 

Myers 

15 

Drake  Hill  School  House.  . . 

25 

East  Lansing  Baptist 

84 

62 

—26 

Ludlowville  Presbyterian  . . . 

60 

16 

—73 

Portland                 " 

.... 

10 

Churches  of  Newfield 

Newfield           Meth.  Epis. . . 

187 

106 

—43 

Trumbulls  Cors. 

116 

32 

—72 

Newfield           Baptist 

85 

Poney  Hollow        "    

18 

Newfield  Presbyterian 

122 

.... 

Trumbulls  Cors.  Christian . . 

83 

40 

—52 

No.  Van  Etten 

24 

2 

— 92 

Jackson's  Hollow 

9 

Churches  of  Ulysses 

Trumansburg  Meth.  Epis.  . . 

89 

90 

+  I 

Waterburg 

37 

25 

—32 

Jacksonville             " 

80 

8S 

+  6 

Trumansburg  Baptist 

139 

127 

—  9 

Trumansburg  Presbyterian.. 

149 

124 

—17 

"            Episcopal. . . . 

53 

33 

-38 

Society  of  Friends 

29 

22 

—24 

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— ATTENDANCE  163 

4.   MEMBERSHIP  AND  ATTENDANCE  COMPARED 

In  Tompkins  County,  N.  Y.,  as  in  Windsor  County, 
Vermont,  there  is  a  marked  disposition  for  the  attend- 
ance to  decline  in  proportion  to  church  membership. 
In  Table  28,  36  churches  and  charges  are  compared, 
in  only  2  of  which  is  there  a  tendency  for  the  member- 
ship to  decline  in  proportion  to  attendance.  The  En- 
field Christian  Church  shows  an  increase  of  283  per 
cent  in  membership  and  a  decHne  of  about  69  per  cent 
in  attendance. 

In  these  36  churches  there  is  a  decline  in  the  total 
membership  of  only  i  per  cent  while  in  attendance 
there  is  a  decline  of  no  less  than  35  per  cent. 

The  same  tendency  is  shown  also  in  Tables  24  and  27. 
There  it  appears  that  while  the  total  membership  for 
the  county  has  increased  from  4,039  in  1890  to  4,102  in 
1910  or  1.56  per  cent,  the  number  of  attendants  has 
declined  from  4,304  in  1890  to  2,878  in  1910,  or  ;^^  per 
cent. 


1 64 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   28 
Attendance  in  Relation  to  Membership 


Per  Cent 

Members 

Attendants 

Gain  or  Loss 

i8qo 

1910 

1890 

1910 

Members 

Attend- 
ants 

Totals 

3,955 

3,916 

3,864 

2,511 

-^ 

—35 

Enfield  Christian 

12 

46 

71 

22 

+283 

-69 

Ludlowville  Presbyterian 

38 

58 

60 

16 

+52 

—73 

West  Danby  Baptist.  .  .  . 

40 

68 

64 

33 

+70 

-48 

McLean              "      .... 

37 

51 

46 

25 

+38 

-46 

Enfield                "      .... 

71 

93 

68 

36 

+31 

—47 

Varna             Meth.  Epis. 

80 

105 

70 

37 

+31 

—47 

West  Danby           "     .  . 

SO 

65 

65 

37 

+30 

—43 

Etna               Baptist.  .  .  . 

49 

63 

54 

31 

+28 

—43 

McLean  Meth.  Epis.     ] 

Groton  City  Meth.  Epis.  j 
Groton  City  Cong'l        J 

56 

69 

84 

44 

+23 

-48 

West  Groton  Cong'l .... 

94 

138 

lOI 

78 

+47 

—23 

Jacksonville  Meth.  Epis.. 

82 

165 

80 

no*** 

+101 

+38 

Trumbulls  Cors.  Christian 

62 

68 

83 

40 

+10 

-52 

Peruville  Meth.  Epis 

17* 

IS 

30 

9 

— 12 

—70 

•♦Enfield  Meth.  Epis.  ... 

90 

117 

125 

93 

+30 

—26 

Truraanshurg  Presby.  . . . 

200 

261 

149 

124 

+31 

—17 

Danby  Cong'l 

97 

109 

167 

109 

+12 

— 35 

Truraanshurg  Meth.  Epis. 

200 

225 

126*** 

90 

+13 

—29 

Newfield              \ 
Trumbulls  Cors.  J 

191 

162 

303 

138 

—IS 

-54 

Dryden  Presbyterian 

147 

219 

138 

153 

+49 

+11 

Dryden  Meth.  Episcopal . 

89 

I03* 

95 

74 

+  16 

— 22 

McLean  Episcopal 

20 

10 

57 

8 

—50 

—86 

Groton  Baptist 

155 

162 

III 

78 

+  5 

—30 

Caroline               \ 

Central  Chapel        M.  E. 

124 

98 

180 

85 

—21 

—S3 

Slaterville            J 

Trumansburg  Episcopal . . 

86 

80 

S3 

33 

—  7 

-38 

*■  Estimated  by  dividing  reported  membership  of  charge  according  to  the 
proportion  of  the  number  of  attendants  of  the  churches  constituting  charge. 
**  Including  Kennedy's  Corners  and  Enfield  Falls. 
•**  Including  Waterburg  Methodist  Episcopal. 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY-EXPENDITURES         165 
TABLE   28   {Continued) 


Members 

Attendance 

Per  Cent 

Gain  or  Loss 

1890 

1910 

1S90 

1910 

Members 

Attend- 
ance 

No.  Lansing]  ,.  ^,   ^  . 
Asbury         |  Meth.Epis. 

102 

98 

122 

86 

~  4 

—30 

Brookton  Baptist 

100 

66 

90 

38 

— 34 

— S8 

Ludlowville 

LansmgvilleP^^^-EP>s- 

146 

132 

161 

107 

— 10 

—34 

Speedsville  Episcopal 

22 

8 

32 

6 

—64 

—81 

W.  Dryden    ,,    . 

FreevilL      |  Math.  Epis. 

98 

90 

155 

125 

-8 

—19 

Trumansburg  Baptist  . .  . 

301 

306 

139 

127 

+  2 

Speedsville  Meth.  Epis..  . 

162 

79 

89 

35 

— SI 

— 6i 

East  Lansing  Baptist .  .  . 

109 

8S 

84 

62 

— 22 

—26 

Groton  Meth.  Episcopal . 

142 

113 

lOI 

79 

— 20 

— 22 

Groton  Congregational. .. 

252 

191 

193 

143 

— 24 

—26 

Brookton       "     

96 

43 

68 

44 

—55 

— 35 

No.  Danby     ,,    ,    ^  . 
So.  Danby  P^^^-EP'^-, 

338 

155 

250 

156 

—54 

-38     . 

Diagram  V,  based  on  Table  28,  shows  that  in  the 
churches  for  which  both  sets  of  facts  are  known  mem- 
bership has  decHned  only  i  per  cent  while  attendance 
has  declined  35  per  cent. 


1 66  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

DIAGRAM  V 

Membership  and  Attendance  Compared 

120  r-^ 


100 


80 


60. 


loss  tn 


Membership  /^ 


^'^c- 


^^ 


^-^^ 


■^c-c>. 


<^ 


-%-"'>^ 


1890  95 


1900  05 


1910 


5.   INCOME  AND  EXPENDITURES 

The  method  of  determining  the  change  in  the  in- 
come and  expenditures  of  the  churches  is  described  on 
p.  24. 

The  Change  in  Trices  and  the  Cost  of  Living.  Tables 
29  and  30  show  that  the  greatest  increase  in  the  cost 
of  Uving,  comparing  the  average  for  the  years  1886- 
1889  with  the  average  for  1906-1910,  was  28  per  cent 
for  the  township  of  Groton,  while  the  least  increase 
was  14  per  cent  for  the  townships  of  Enfield  and  Ulysses. 
The  increase  for  the  year  1910  was  considerably  greater 
than  for  the  average  for  the  five  years  1906-19 10.  It 
was  20  per  cent  for  the  township  of  Enfield,  where 
the  increase  was  the  least,  while  for  Groton,  where 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY— EXPENDITURES 


167 


it   was   the  greatest,    it   was   no  less   than   41   per 
cent. 


TABLE  29 

Increase  in  the  Cost  of  Living  for  the  Year  19 10  and  for 
THE  Period  1906-1910  as  Compared  with  1886-1890 


Increase  per  Cent  in  Cost  of  Living  as 
Compared  with  1 886-1890 

1910 

Ave.  1906-1910 

County . 

26 

19 

Enfield 

20 
21 

25 

21 
26 

27 
41* 

14 
14 
17 
18 

Ulysses 

Lansing 

Danby 

Newfield 

19 
20 

Dryden 

Caroline 

Groton. . . 

28  * 

*  Compared  with  1890. 


i68 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE  30 


Index  Figures  Showing  Relative  Cost  of  Living  in  Dif- 
ferent Years  by  Townships  Compared  with  i  886-1 890 


Year 

Enfield 

Ulysses 

Lans- 
ing 

Danby* 

New- 
field 

Dry- 
den 

Caro- 
line 

Groton 

1876 

... 

112 

75-79 

109 

97 

92 

107 

1880 

102 

80-84 

104 

100 

105 

107 

107 

86-90 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

100 

1890 

98 

96 

99 

99 

100 

95 

98 

100 

1893 

103 

95 

107 

104 

109 

lOI 

104 

108 

189s 

99 

94 

III 

lOI 

97 

1898 

102 

94 

106 

94 

104 

98 

95 

98 

1900 

103 

94 

no 

106 

105 

105 

lOI 

III 

1903 

108 

99 

109 

102 

no 

107 

108 

120 

1905 

no 

114 

115 

1906 

109 

108 

112 

113 

112 

1908 

113 

108 

115 

III 

121 

119 

123 

125 

1909 

116 

123 

120 

122 

121 

125 

128 

135 

1910 

120 

121 

125 

121 

126 

127 

141 

1911 

147 

132 

06-10 

114 

114 

117 

118 

119 

120 

121 

128 

*  Rent  not  included. 


In  Diagram  VI  the  figures  at  the  bottom  of  the  cuts 
indicate  the  years  while  the  figures  at  the  left  indicate 
the  percentage,  the  average  cost  of  living  for  1886-1890 
being  taken  as  100. 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES  169 

DIAGRAM  VI 

Change  in  the  Cost  of  Living  in  the  Different 
Townships 


J 

^ 

^  / 

/^ 

X 

1885      90       95       1900 
GROTON 


too 


90       95      13Q0     05      1310 
CAROLINE 


/ 

r 

^ 

\ 

^ 

90        95       1900      05        10       191$.     1885      90       95       1900      05      1900 
DRYDEN  NEWFIELD 


90        95       1900      05        10       1315    ^\^ 
DANBY 


95       1900      05      1910' 
LANSING 


170 


«85      90        95       1900 
ULYSSES 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
DIAGRAM   VI    {Continued) 


160 

KO 
120 
WO 
fln 

r^ 

y 

J 

^^ 

^ 

V 

^ 

0&      1910. 


90       95       1900      05     1910 
ENFIELD 


Expenditures.  The  comparison  of  expenditures 
(shown  in  Table  31)  was  made  between  the  annual 
average  for  the  years  1 886-1 890  and  twenty  years  later 
for  the  years  1906-1910,  inclusive.  The  total  average 
annual  expenditures  of  the  churches  of  the  county  for 
the  first  period  was  $32,826.  Twenty  years  later  it 
was  $35,214,  or  an  increase  in  dollars  expended  of  7 
per  cent.  But  the  purchasing  power  of  the  $35,214 
expended  in  the  second  period  was  equivalent  to  only 
29,803  of  the  dollars  expended  in  the  first  period,  or  an 
actual  decline  in  purchasing  power  of  9  per  cent.  These 
expenditures  consist  of  ministers'  salaries,  and  of  con- 
tributions for  church  extension,  for  benevolences,  and 
for  buildings  and  improvements  on  church  property. 

Table  32  gives  the  expenditures  for  the  two  periods 
in  the  different  townships.    It  shows  that  the  expendi- 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES         171 

tures  in  dollars  have  increased  in  5  townships  and  de- 
creased in  3.  When  expenditures  are  expressed  in 
purchasing  power,  this  ratio  is  reversed,  and  the  ex- 
penditures are  seen  to  have  increased  in  3  townships 
and  declined  in  5. 

Table  33  gives  the  expenditures  for  the  individual 
churches  taken  from  the  published  statistics  of  the 
denominations  and  from  the  work  of  church  clerks 
and  treasurers  on  their  books.  When  a  year  is  lacking, 
the  average  of  the  other  four  of  the  five  year  period 
is.  employed.  It  appears  that  of  33  churches  or  charges 
the  expenditures  of  16  when  expressed  in  dollars  have 
increased  while  17  have  decreased.  But  in  purchas- 
ing power  13  have  increased  while  20  have  decreased. 
Therefore  slightly  more  than  60  per  cent  of  the  churches 
for  which  statistics  are  available  have  decreased  their 
real  expenditures. 


172 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE  31 
Financial  Activities  of  the  Churches 


I 886-1 890 

1906- 

-1910 

Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 

In 

and 
Purchas- 

Dollars 

Power  as 
Compared 

In 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 

ing 
Power 

with  1886 
-1890 

Power 

Total  Expenditures 

32,826 

35,213 

29,802 

+  7 

—  9 

Benevolences 

2,821 

5,271 

4,446 

+87 

+58 

Improvements 

6,430 

3,522 

3,013 

—45 

—53 

17,128 

17,194 

14,415 

+04 

—16 

TABLE  32 
Changes  in  the  Total  Expenditures  of  the  Churches 
Each  Township 


of 


1886-1890 

1906-1910 

Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 

Dollars 

and 
Purchas- 

ing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power  as 
Compared 
with  1886 
-1890 

In 
Dollars 

In 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 

County 

32,826 

35,213 

29,802 

+  ' 

—  9 

Caroline 

Danby 

4,388 
2,539 
4,744 
1,513 
4,012 

3,857 
4,187 
7,586 

2,649 
1,529 
6,335 
1,712 
4,216 
5,077 
2,951 
10,744 

2,181 
1,298 
5,257 
1,505 
3.287 
4,334 
2,489 
9,451 

—40 
—40 
+34 
+  13 
+  5 
+32 
—30 

+  42 

—50 
—49 
+  11 
—  5 
—18 

Dryden 

Enfield 

Groton 

Lansing 

+  12 
—41 
+25 

Newfield 

Ulysses  

TOMPKINS   COUNTY— EXPENDITURES         173 


TABLE  33 

Average  Annual  Expenditures  of  the  Individual  Churches, 

1886-1890  and  1906-1910 


1886-90 

1906-1910 

Gain  or  Loss 

per  Cent 

Dollars 

Purchas- 

and 

ing 

In 

Purchas- 

In 

Power  as 

In 

Pur- 

ing 
Power 

Dollars 

compared 

Dollars 

chasing 

with  1886 

Power 

-1890 

Totals 

32,826 

35,213 

29,802 

+  7 

—  9 

Churches  of  Caroline 

SlaterviUe  Meth 

2,288 

1,132 

932 

—50 

—59 

Speeds  ville    "      

1,110 

843 

694 

—24 

—37 

Brookton  Baptist  .... 

770* 

283 

233 

-63 

—70 

SlaterviUe  Episcopal . . 

273 

225 

Speeds  ville        " 

219 

118 

97 

-46 

-56 

Churches  of  Danby 

Danby  &  So.  D.  Meth. 

2,149 

1,299 

1,103 

—40 

—49 

West  Danby            " 

390 

230 

195 

—41 

—50 

Churches  of  Dryden 

Dryden  Methodist 

853 

1,171 

972 

+37 

+  14 

Freeville        " 

575 

858 

712 

+49 

+  24 

W.  Dryden    "        

461 

389 

323 

—16 

—30 

Varna  &  Ellis  Meth. . . 

776 

1,242 

1,031 

+60 

+33 

Dryden  Episcopal 

414 

343 

Dryden  Presbyterian. . 

2,079 

2,261 

1,876 

+  9 

— 10 

Churches  of  Enfield 

Enfield  Meth.  Epis. . . . 

755 

1,072 

942 

+42 

+  25 

Enfield  Baptist 

758 

640 

563 

—16 

—26 

Churches  of  Groton 

Groton          Meth.  ... 

971 

1,356 

1,057 

+40 

+  9 

McLean            " 

319 

79 

62 

—75 

—81 

Groton  City 

228 

.... 

*  Average  for  4  years. 


174 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   33    {Continued) 


1886-90 

1906-1910 

Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 

Dollars 
and 
Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

In 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power  as 
compared 
with  1886 
-1890 

In 

Dollars 

In 
Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Peruville  Meth.  Epis. . . 

180 

211 

164 

+  17 

—  9 

Groton  City  Cong'l . . . 

379 

29s 

Groton  Baptist 

1,724 

1,421 

1,108 

—18 

-36 

McLean  Baptist 

351 

400 

312 

+  14 

— II 

Groton  Cong'l 



Groton  Episcopal 

146 

114 

McLean        "       

240 

224 

175 

—  7 

—27 

Churches  of  Lansing 

LudlowviUe  Meth 

433 

824 

704 

+90 

+  63 

Lansingville      "     

473 

1,049 

895 

+  122 

+89 

Asbury              "     .... 

578 

1,106 

944 

+91 

+63 

No.  Lansing      "     

774 

507 

433 

—34 

—44 

No.  Lansing  Baptist  . . 

123 

40 

34 

—68 

—73 

East  Lansing     " 

760 

865 

738 

+  14 

—  3 

LudlowviUe  Presby.  .  . 

715 

686 

586 

—  4 

—18 

Churches  of  Newfield 

Newfield  Meth 

3,136 

1,611 

1,359 

—49 

—57 

Newfield  Baptist 

907 

765 

Newfield  Presbyterian. 

727 

Newfield  Christian 

32s 

433 

365 

+33 

+  12 

Churches  of  Ulysses 

Trumansburg  Meth.  . . 

1,685 

2,358 

2,075 

+40 

+23 

Jacksonville         "     . . 

938 

1,84s 

1,623 

+97 

+73 

Trumansburg  Baptist . 

1,297 

1,670 

1,469 

+  29 

+  13 

Trumansburg  Presby.. 

2,186 

3,866 

3,401 

+  77 

+56 

Trumansburg  Epis 

1,480 

969 

852 

—35 

—42 

Jacksonville        "     ... 

36 

31 

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES         175 

Benevolences.  Benevolences  constitute  about  8  or  9 
per  cent  of  church  expenditures  in  the  first  period  and 
about  15  per  cent  in  the  second.  Under  this  head  are 
included  contributions  for  church  extension  at  home 
and  abroad,  for  promoting  the  sale  of  Bibles  and  other 
religious  literature,  for  Sunday  and  other  schools,  for 
home  and  benevolent  missions,  and  for  sundry  benev- 
olent purposes. 

Table  34  shows  that  the  churches  of  the  county 
have  increased  their  benevolence  from  an  annual 
average  of  $2,820  in  the  first  period  to  $5,267  in  the 
second,  or  86.5  per  cent.  When  the  change  in  purchas- 
ing power  of  the  dollar  is  allowed  for,  the  increase  is 
from  2,820  to  4,844,  or  57  per  cent. 

Reckoning  in  dollars,  7  towns  increased  their  benev- 
olences while  I  decreased.  In  purchasing  power  6 
towns  increased  and  2  decreased. 

Table  35  shows  that  in  36  churches  for  which  data 
are  available,  23  have  increased  their  contributions 
in  dollars,  while  13  have  decreased  them.  Allowing 
for  purchasing  power,  21  have  increased,  while  15 
have  decreased. 

The  increase  of  benevolences  appears  to  indicate 
the  increased  importance  attached  to  the  achievement 
of  practical  results  as  well  as  to  the  increasing  hold  of 


176 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


foreign  missions  on  the  country  population.  The  gain 
made  by  the  country  churches  of  Tompkins  County  in 
this  line  of  purely  altruistic  activity  is  a  most  encourag- 
ing sign,  and  indicates  their  continued  vitality  as  a 
factor  in  the  great  world  movement  for  better  things. 


TABLE  34 

Average  Annual  Benevolences  of  the  Churches  by  Town- 
ships, 1886-1890  and  1906-1910 


County  . 

Caroline 
Danby.  . 
Dry  den  , 
Enfield., 
Groton. . 
Lansing. 
Newfield 
Ulysses  . 


1886-1890 


Dollars 
and 

Purchas- 
ing 
Power 


2,»2I 


I906-I9IO 


Dollars 


5,271 


Purchas- 
ing 
Power  as 
Compared 

with  1886 
-1890 


4,446 


Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 


In 

Dollars 


+  87 


In 

Purchas' 

ing 

Power 


+  58 


228 
551 
252 
98 
500 
•283 
147 
762 


229 
528 
899 
145 
828 
626 
471 
1,545 


189 
449 
747 
127 
644 
535 
397 
1,358 


+0.4 
—  4 
+  257 
+  48 
+  65 
+  121 
+  220 
+  103 


—  17 

—  19 
+  196 
+  30 
+  29 
+  89 
+  170 
+   78 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES         177 


TABLE  35 

Average  Annual  Benevolences  of  the  Individual  Churches, 

1886-1890  and  1906-1910 


1 

Gain  or  Loss 

1886-90 

1906-10 

per  Cent 

Purchas- 

Dollars 

-•„  - 

and 

tng 

In  Pur- 

In 

Power  as 

In 

Pur- 
chasing 

Dollars 

compared 
with  1886 

Dollars 

chasing 
Power 

Power 

-1890 

Totals 

2,821 

5,271 

4,446 

+  87 

+  58 

Churches  of  Caroline 

Slaterville  Meth.  Epis... 

III 

102 

84 

—    8 

—  24 

Speedsville          "      .... 

43 

28 

23* 

—  35 

—  47 

Brookton  Baptist 

49* 

41 

34 

—  17 

—  31 

Slaterville  Episcopal 

40* 

33* 

... 

Speedsville  Episcopal  — 

25 

18 

15 

—  27 

—  40 

Churches  of  Danby 

Danby  &  So.  D.  Meth... 

135 

146 

124 

+     8 

—    8 

West  Danby            "     . . 

39 

20 

17 

—  49 

-56 

West  Danby  Baptist 

29 

58 

49 

+  98 

—  68 

Danby  Congregational  . . 

348 

304 

259 

—  13 

—  26 

Churches  of  Dryden 

Dryden  Meth.  Epis 

44 

160 

133 

+  264 

+202 

FreeviUe 

28 

66 

55 

+  136 

+  96 

W.  Dryden       " 

43 

30 

25 

—  31 

—  43 

Varna  j             <( 

Ellis    j                         

27 

135 

112 

+400 

+315 

Etna.  BaDtist     

67 

138 

114 

+  107 

+  70 

XLiLllCL    JJCHJCXOi- 

Dryden  Presbyterian 

43 

286 

238 

+565 

+453 

Dryden  Episcopal 

84 

70 

... 

... 

Churches  of  Enfield 

Enfield  Meth.  Epis 

46 

115 

lOI 

+  150 

+  120 

Enfield  Baptist 

52 

30 

26 

—  42 

—  50 

*  Average  of  4  years. 


178 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   35    {Continued) 


1886-90 

1906-10 

Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 

Dollars 

Purchas- 

and 

ing 

In  Pur- 

■ 

Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

In 

Dollars 

Power  as 

compared 

with  1886 

-1890 

In 

Dollars 

chasing 
Power 

Churches  of  Groton 

Groton  Meth.  Epis 

70 

III 

87 

+  59 

+  24 

McLean          "         

18 

II 

8 

—  39 

-  S6 

Groton  City  Meth.  Epis.. 

13 

Groton  City  Cong'l 

51 

39 

Peniville  Meth.  Epis.  .  . . 

9 

Groton  Baptist 

168 

238 

186 

+  42 

+  II 

McLean  Baptist 

20 

91 

71 

+351 

+255 

Groton  Cong'l 

65 
117 

97 
86 

75 
67 

+  49 
—  26 

+  IS 
—  43 

West  Groton  Cong'l 

Groton  Episcopal 

66 

51 

McLean  Episcopal 

20 

77 

60 

+  285 

+  200 

Churches  of  Lansing 

Ludlowville  Meth.  Epis.. . 

25 

116 

99 

+361 

+  296 

Lansingville         " 

27 

161 

138 

+496 

+411 

Asbury 

54 

103 

88 

+  91 

+  63 

No  Lansing          " 

28 

48 

41 

+   71 

+  46 

No.  Lansing  Baptist.  .  .  . 

19 

7 

6 

-63 

—  68 

East  Lansing       "     .... 

104 

177 

I5X 

+  70 

+  45 

Ludlowville  Presbyterian 

26 

14 

12 

-46 

—  54 

Churches  of  Newfield 

Newfield  Meth.  Epis.... 

124 

308 

259 

+  148 

+  109 

"        Baptist 

146 

123 

"        Presbyterian  . . 

23 

"        Christian 

(•38) 

17 

15 

... 

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES         179 
TABLE  35    (Continued) 


Gain  or  Loss 

1886-90 

1906-10 

per  Cent 

Purchas- 

Dollars 

ing 

In  Pur- 

Pur- 
chasing 

In 

Dollars 

Power  as 
compared 
with  1886 

In 

Dollars 

chasing 
Power 

Power 

-1890 

Churches  of  Ulysses 

Trumansburg  Meth.  . .  . 

147 

309 

272 

+  111 

+  8s 

Jacksonville          "      .  .  . 

62 

212 

186 

+  243 

+  200 

Trumansburg  Baptist. . . 

132 

299 

263 

+  127 

+  99 

"             Presby.  .  . 

266 

622 

547 

+  134 

+  106 

"              Episcopal . 

15s 

103 

90 

—  34 

—  42 

Improvements.  The  money  spent  by  the  church  for 
building,  repairs,  and  improvements  of  church  property 
constitutes  about  20  per  cent  of  the  total  expenditures 
from  1886  to  1890  and  10  per  cent  from  1906  to  1910. 
Reckoning  in  dollars.  Table  36  shows  that  the  average 
amount  spent  by  the  churches  in  the  first  period  per  year 
was  $6,430,  against  $3,522  in  the  second,  a  decrease  of 
45  per  cent.  Expressed  in  purchasing  power,  the  ex- 
penditure for  the  second  period  was  equivalent  to 
$3,013  or  a  decline  of  53  per  cent.  Whether  we  reckon 
in  dollars  or  in  purchasing  power,  4  towns  gained  and 


i8o 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 


4  towns  lost  in  their  expenditures  for  improvements 
during  the  twenty  years. 

From  Table  37  it  appears  that  a  slight  majority 
of  the  individual  churches  increased  their  expenditures 
for  improvements  if  we  reckon  in  dollars,  while  the 
numbers  are  reversed  if  we  take  account  of  the  pur- 
chasing power  of  the  dollar. 


TABLE  36 

Average  Annual  Expenditures  for  Buildings,  Repairs  and 
Improvements  on  Church  Property  by  Townships,  1886- 
1890  AND  1906-1910 


I 886-1 890 

1906-1910 

Per  Cent  Gain  or  Loss 

Purchasing 

Dollars  and 

Power  as 

In  Pur- 

Purchasing 

Dollars 

Ccompared 

In  Dollars 

chasing 

Power 

with  1886 
-1890 

Power 

County  . . . 

6,430 

3,522 

3,013 

—  45 

—  53 

Caroline  .  . 

1,458 

212 

174 

—  86 

—  88 

Danby 

657 

148 

126 

—  77 

—  81 

Dry  den  . . . 

254 

341 

284 

+  34 

+  12 

Enfield.... 

78' 

240 

211 

+  208 

+  171 

Groton 

702 

203 

158 

—  71 

—  77 

Lansing.  .  . 

480 

714 

610 

+  49 

+  27 

Newfield  . . 

1,906 

403 

340 

—  79 

—  82 

Ulysses  .  .  . 

89s 

1,261 

1,110 

+  41 

+  24 

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— EXPENDITURES 


i8i 


TABLE  37 

Average  Annual  Expenditures  for  Improvements  by  In- 
dividual Churches,  1886-1890  and  1906-1910 


18S6-1890 

1906-1Q10 

Per  Cent 

Gain  or  Loss 

Dollars  and 

Pur- 

In 

Dollars 

In  Pur- 

Purchasing 

Dollars 

chasing 

chasing 

Power 

Power 

Power 

Totals 

6,430 

3,522 

3,013 

—  45 

53 

Churches  of  Carohne 

Slaterville  Meth 

1,168 

78 

64 

—  93 

—  45 

Speeds  ville     "       .... 

252 

69 

57 

—  72 

—  77 

Brookton  Baptist  .... 

30 

37 

30 

+   23 

Slaterville  Episcopal.  . 

.... 

27 

22 

Speedsville        "        .  . 

8 

I 

I 

-  87 

-  87 

Churches  of  Danby 

Danby  &  So.  D.  Meth. 

634 

126 

107 

—  80 

-83 

■  West  Danby 

3 

.... 

West  Danby  Baptist.. 

20 

22 

19 

+  '12 

—     4 

Churches  of  Dryden 

Dryden      Meth 

100 

74 

61 

—  26 

—  39 

Free  ville         "     

52 

97 

81 

+  85 

+  54 

West  Dryden  "     

80 

44 

37 

—  45 

—  54 

Dryden  Episcopal 

34 

28 

Varna  &  ElHs  Meth.  . . 

22 

92 

77 

+318 

+  252 

Churches  of  Enfield 

Enfield  Meth.  Epis... . 

30 

133 

117 

+343 

+  290 

Baptist 

48 

107 

94 

+  124 

+  97 

Churches  of  Groton 

Groton  Meth.  Epis. . . . 

78 

130 

lOI 

+  67 

+  30 

McLean        Meth 

39 

5 

4 

-87 

—  go 

Groton  City     "    

28 



l82 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   37    {Continued) 


I 886-1 890 

1906-1910 

Per  Cent 
Gain  or  Loss 

Dollars  and 

Pur- 

In 

Dollars 

In  Pur- 

Purchasing 
Power 

Dclhrs 

chasing 
Power 

chasing 
Power 

Groton  City  Cong'l  . .  . 

7 

5 

Peruville  Meth 

16 

Groton  Baptist 

460 

53 

41 

—  88 

—  91 

McLean      "       

2 

2 

Groton  Cong'l 

McLean  Episcopal 

81 

6 

5 

—  93 

—  94 

Churches  of  Lansing 

Ludlowville  Meth 

42 

168 

143 

+  300 

+  240 

Lansingville       "     

46 

90 

77 

+  96 

+  67 

Asbury               "    

100 

286 

244 

+  186 

+  144 

No.  Lansing      "     .... 

255 

84 

72 

-  67 

—  72 

No.  Lansing  Baptist 

3 

3 

East  Lansing  "       

37 

83 

71 

+  124 

+  92 

Churches  of  Newfield 

Newfield  Meth 

1,906 

146 

123 

—  92 

—  93 

Baptist 

.... 

257 

217 

Churches  of  Ulysses 

Trumansburg  Meth. . . 

336 

555 

488 

+  65 

+  45 

Jacksonville         "     .  . 

80 

402 

354 

+403 

+  343 

Trumansburg  Baptist  . 

.... 

67 

59 

"         Episcopal. 

479 

237 

209 

—  51 

-56 

TOMPKINS   COUNTY— EXPENDITURES         183 

Ministers^  Salaries.  Table  38  shows  that  the  churches 
of  the  county  have  increased  the  amount  given  for 
ministers'  salaries  from  an  annual  average  of  $17,128 
from  1886  to  1890  to  $17,194  from  1906  to  1910,  or  0.4 
per  cent.  When  the  purchasing  power  of  the  dollar 
is  allowed  for,  however,  there  is  a  decrease  from  $17,128 
to  $14,405,  or  16  per  cent.  Reckoning  in  dollars  18 
churches  held  their  own  or  increased,  while  11  decreased; 
but  reckoning  in  purchasing  power  only  8  increased 
while  21  decreased. 

In  some  cases  where  two  or  more  churches  shared  the 
services  of  one  minister  in  the  first  period  the  group- 
ing of  churches  was  different  in  the  second  period.. 
The  result  of  this  is  to  cause  the  comparison  of  amounts 
received  by  ministers  to  differ  slightly  from  the  com- 
parison of  the  amounts  given  by  the  churches;  so  that 
out  of  29  ministers'  salaries  in  dollars  paid  17  in  the 
second  period  were  as  large  as  those  in  the  first,  while 
12  were  smaller;  but  reckoning  in  purchasing  power 
only  7  ministers  received  larger  salaries  than  their 
predecessors,  while  the  pay  of  22  was  less. 

Excluding  those  ministers  who  did  not  give  their 
whole  time  to  the  service  of  the  church,  and  counting 
the  rental  value  of  parsonages  as  money  received,  the 
average  salary  in  the  first  period  was  $646,  in  the 


1 84 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


second  $744  in  dollars,  or  $624  reckoned  in  purchas- 
ing power. 

TABLE  38 

Increase   and   Decrease   in   Annual   Average   Ministers' 
Salaries  from  1886-1890  and  1906-1910 


1886-1890 

I 906-1 9 10 

Per  Cent 
Gain  or  Loss 

Dollars  and 

Purchasing 

Power 

In 
Dollars 

Purch. 

Power 
Compared 

with 
1886-90 

In 
Dol- 
lars 

In  Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Totals 

17,128 

17,194 

14,415 

+0.4 

—16 

Slaterville  Meth 

Speedsville      "     

Brookton  Baptist 

Brookton  Cong'l 

Danby  Meth. 

Danby  &  So.  D.  Meth. 

So.  Danby     Meth 

West  Danby     "       

Dryden             "       

Dryden  &  McLean  Meth. 

Freeville  Meth 

West  Dryden  &  Freeville 
Meth. 

Varna  &  Ellis  Meth 

Dryden  Presbyterian 

Enfield  Meth.  .. 

767 

S19 
f683+P| 
1         733  J 

562 

638 

424 
268 
532 

467 

5S9 
1,020 
496 
658 
551 
344 

611 
520 

401 

308 

701 

147 
626 

724 
740 
980 
600 
498 
637 

281 

503 
428 

330 

254 

595 

519 

601 
614 
813 

?27 

— 20 

—45 
—45 
+  10 

—45 
+  18 

+  55 

+  26 
—  4 
+  21 
—24 
+  16 

—34 
—18 

-55 

—55 

—  7 

-53 

—  2 

+  29 

+  4 
— 20 
+  6 
—S3 
— 10 

Enfield  Baptist 

Groton  Meth.  Epis 

McLean    "     

438 
496 

Groton  City  Cong'l 

219 

TOMPKINS   COUNTY— EXPENDITURES         185 


TABLE   38    {Continued) 


Per  Cent 

1886-1890 

1906-1910 

Gain 

or  Loss 

Purch. 

Dollars  and 

In 
Dollars 

Power 

In 

In  Pur- 

Purchasing 

Compared 

Dol- 

chasing 

Power 

with 
1886-90 

lars 

Power 

Groton  Baptist 

800 

82s 

643 

+  3 

— 20 

Groton  Cong'l 

1,000 

1,200 

936 

+  20 

—  6 

McLean  Episcopal 

93 

107 

84 

+  15 

— 10 

Ludlowville  Meth 

574 

851 

735 

+48 

+28 

Asbury&W.Dryden 

Meth. 

631 

1 

Asbury  &  No.  Lansing 

1 

+  29 

+  11 

Meth. 

817 

697  J 

No.  Lansing  Meth 

369 



•  • 

•• 

East  Lansing  Baptist  . . . 

330 

400 

345 

+21 

+  5- 

Newfield  Meth.  Epis. .  .  . 

854 

863 

738 

+  I 

—14 

Newfield  Christian  * 

317 

325 

274 

Trumansburg  Meth.  .  .  . 

771 

855 

739 

+11 

—  4 

Jacksonville         "       ... 

575 

840 

726 

+46 

+  26 

Trumansburg  Baptist.  .  . 

946 

937 

825 

—  I 

—13 

Trumansburg  Presb 

1,000 

1,000 

865 

—13 

Trumansburg  Episcopal . 

300 

400 

346 

■Y23 

+  15 

*  The  minister  of  this  church  for  a  part  of  the  time  received  also  some 
pay  from  another  church  the  exact  amount  of  which  could  not  be  de- 
termined. 


i86 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE  38 

Increase  and  Decrease  in  Ministers'  S  alaries  in  Churches 
NOT  Reporting  tor  Period  i  886-1890 


Average  An- 
nual Salary  re- 
ceived 1906- 
1910 

Salary  Re- 
ceived  in 
Year  Re- 

Gain or  Loss 
Per  Cent 

In 
Dollars 

In 
Purch. 
Power 

ported  Near- 
est 1886-90 

In 
Dollars 

In 
Purch. 
Power 

Totals 

1,194 

990 

1,650 

1,624 

—28 

— 39 

Slaterville  Epis (1893) 

West  Danby  Baptist  (1886) 

Etna  Baptist (1887) 

Groton  Epis..         .         .    . 

120 
205 
(10)400 
69* 
400 

99 
174 
318 

54* 
345 

200 
250 
600 

600 

193 
257 
571 

603 

—40 
—18 
—33 

—33 

—49 
—32 

—44 

Ludlowville  Presb..  .(1890) 

—43 

*  Average  for  three  years. 


Donations.  It  appears  from  Table  39  that  reckoning 
in  dollars  13  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  churches  have 
decreased  their  donations  while  only  7  have  increased 
them.  The  total  average  amount  given  in  the  first 
period  was  $773  while  in  the  second  it  was  only  $291,  a 
decline  of  62  per  cent.  In  Table  40  it  appears  that  in 
every  town  in  the  county  these  churches  have  decreased 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY— EXPENDITURES 


187 


their  donations.  A  similar  decrease  was  reported  in 
other  churches  but  exact  figures  could  be  found  only 
in  the  case  of  one  or  two. 


TABLE  39 

Average  Annual  Donations  in  Dollars  to  Ministers  of 
Methodist  Churches,  i  886-1 890  and  1906-19 10 


Town                     Church 

Average 
1886-90 

per  Year 
1906-10 

Loss 
per  Cent 

Totals 

733 

291 

—62 

Churches  of  Caroline: 

Slaterville                      Meth.  Epis 

146 

6 

Speedsville                              "         

27 

48 

Churches  of  Danby: 

Danby                                    "         

48 

South  Danby 

42 

71 

Danby  &  S.  Danby                "         

2 

6 

West  Danby                           "         

Churches  of  Dryden: 

Dryden                                    "         

86 

•• 

W.  Dryden  &  Asbury            "         

37 

Freeville  &  Peruville             "         

59 

... 

Varna  &  Etna                        "         

30 

Varna  &  ElHs                         "         

3 

Churches  of  Enfield: 

Enfield  &  Kennedy's  Cors.    "         

78 

37 

Churches  of  Groton: 

Groton                                     "         

17 

McLean  and  Groton  City     "         

49 

Churches  of  Lansing: 

N.  Lansing  &  E.  Genoa         "          

36 

Ludlowville  &  Lansingville   "          

42 

THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   39   {Continued) 


Town                     Church 

Average 
1886-90 

per  Year 
1906-10 

Loss 
per  Cent 

LudIowville-{- (Asbury   1906-1908  Lansing- 
ville  1908-09)  Meth.  Epis 

54 
47 

42 

18 
18 
15 

No.  Lansing+ (Lansingville  '06-09  Asbury 

Churches  of  Newfield: 

Newfield  &  Trumbulls  Cors.  "         

Churches  of  Ulysses: 

Trumansburg                          "          

Jacksonville                             ''          

TABLE  40 

Average  Annual  Donations  in   Dollars  to  Ministers  of 
Methodist  Churches,  1886-1890  and  1906-1910 


County 

1886-1890 

1906-igio 

773 
97 

291 

Average  for  town.  . . 

36 

Caroline 

173 
92 

182 
3 
95 
85 
54 
89 

54 

77 

30 

Enfield        

Groton 

37 

60 

Newfield 

18 

15 

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— MINISTRY  189 

6.   EDUCATIONAL  EQUIPMENT  OF  MINISTRY 

There  are  34  ministers  in  Tompkins  County.  Data 
as  to  their  educational  equipment  was  gathered  in  the 
case  of  all  but  3.  It  is  probable  that  these  3  had  little 
preparation  for  the  ministry. 

Five  ministers,  including  2  pastors  of  the  rural 
churches  and  3  of  the  churches  of  the  larger  villages, 
have  had  a  training  of  seven  years  in  college  and  semi- 
nary. Two  have  had  a  five  years'  course,  3  a  four 
years'  course,  6  a  three  years'  course.  Six  have  taken 
the  courses  of  reading  and  study  prescribed  by  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  conferences,  while  7  have  received 
only  high  school  or  common  school  education.  One 
has  taken,  in  addition  to  other  studies,  some  special 
studies  in  agriculture  at  Brown  University,  2  have 
taken  some  agricultural  studies  at  the  summer  school 
in  Amherst,  Mass.,  while  5  have  had  some  experience 
on  farms.  None  has  reported  a  fuller  course  in  agri- 
cultural training. 

As  a  whole  this  preparation  is  insufl&cient.  It  should 
be  supplemented  by  courses  in  summer  schools,  at 
theological  seminaries,  agricultural  institutions,  or 
elsewhere. 


I  go  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

7.    ACTIVITIES   OF   THE   DENOMINATION 

In  Tables  41  and  42  are  given  the  figures  for  the  at- 
tendance, membership,  and  expenditures  of  the  dif- 
ferent denominations  of  Tompkins  County. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  ranks  first  in  the 
number  of  members  and  attendants.  The  Baptist 
churches  are  second,  the  Congregational  third,  the 
Presbyterian  fourth,. the  Episcopal  fifth. 

Of  these  denominations  the  Episcopal  Church  has 
gained  38  per  cent  in  membership,  the  Presbyterian 
Church  has  gained  20  per  cent,  the  Baptist  Churches 
14,  the  Congregational  i  per  cent,  while  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  has  lost  12  per  cent. 

In  the  number  of  attendants  the  Baptist  Churches 
have  lost  19  per  cent,  the  Congregational  22  per  cent, 
the  Episcopal  30,  the  Presbyterian  35,  while  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  has  lost  37  per  cent. 

In  expenditures  reckoned  in  purchasing  power, 
the  Presbyterians  have  gained  3  per  cent,  the  Episco- 
palians have  lost  5  per  cent,  the  Baptists  have  lost 
10  per  cent,  and  the  Methodists  15  per  cent. 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY— ACTIVITIES 


191 


TABLE  41 

Gains  and  Losses  in  Membership  and  Attendance  for  the 
Several  Denominations 


Totals. 


Methodist 

Baptist 

Congregational.  .  .  . 

Presbyterian 

Episcopal 

Christian 

UniversaHst 

Freewill  Baptist. . . 

Wesleyan  Meth 

Friends 

Undenominational 

and  attending'out  of 

County 


Membership 


1890 


4,039 


,967 
881 
539 
450 
128 
74 


1910 


4,102 


1,729 
1,002 
543 
538 
176 
114 


Attendance 


1890 


4,304 


2,080 

656 

529 

469 

142 

195 

64 

44 

47 

29 


49 


1910 


2,878 


1,317 

533 

413 

303 

99 

62 

62 

18 

38 

22 


Per  Cent 
Gain  or  Loss 


In 

Member- 
ship 


+ 


— 12 
+  14 
+  I 
+  20 
+38 
+  54 


In 

Attend- 
ance 


-33 


-37 
-19 
-22 
-35 
-30 
-68 
-  3 
-59 
-19 
-24 


-78 


192 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE  42 

Expenditures  of  the  Denominations  for  the  Periods  1886- 
1890  AND  1906-1910 

TOTAL  EXPENDITURES 


1886-1890 

1906-1910 

Increase  or  De- 
crease per  Cent 

Dollars 
and  Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing  Power 

as  Com- 
pared with 
86-90 

In 
Dollars 

In  Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Totals 

32,826 

35,213 

29,802 

+     7 

—    9 

Methodist 

Baptist 

19,071 
5,783 
5,708 

1,939 
325 

19,182 
6,226 
6.813 

379 
2,180 

433 

16,220 
5,222 
5,863 

295 
1,837 

365 

+0.6 
+     8 
+  19 

+  12 
+  Si 

—  IS 

Presbyterian 

Congregational . . . 

Episcopal 

Christian 

+  7 

—  5 
+  12 

BENEVOLENCES 


Totals 

Methodist 

Baptist 

Presbyterian.  . . 
Congregational . 

Episcopal 

Christian 


2,821 


1,093 
640 
358 
530 
200 


5,271 

4,446 

+  87 

2,l8l 

1,852 

+  100 

1,225 

1,023 

+  91 

922 

797 

+  158 

538 

440 

+     2 

388 

319 

+  94 

17 

15 

... 

+  69 
+  60 
+123 
—  17 

+  59 
+  37 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY-VILLAGE  AND  COUNTRY      193 


TABLE  42    (Continued) 
MINISTERS'  SALARIES 


I 886-1 890 

1906-1910 

Increase  or  De- 
crease per  Cent 

Dollars 
and  Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

j 
Dollars 

Purchas- 
ing  Power 
as  Com- 
pared with 
86-90 

In 

Dollars 

In  Pur- 
chasing 
Power 

Totals 

17,128 

17,194 

14,415 

+0.4 

—  16 

Methodist 

Baptist 

9,369 
3,467 
2,020 
1,562 
393 
317 

9,532 
3,061 
1,980 
1,789 
507 
325 

8.043 
2,581 
1,678 
1,409 
430 
274 

+     2 

—  12 

—  2 
+  15 
+  29 
+     3 

—  14 

—  26 

Presbyterian 

Congregational. . . 

Episcopal 

Christian 

—  17 

—  10 
+     9 

—  14 

IMPROVEMENTS 

Totals 

6,430 

3,522 

3,013 

—  45 

—  53 

Methodist 

5,267 
595 

568 

2,579 
631 

7 
305 

2,207 
536 

5 
265 

—  51 
+     6 

-46 

-58 
—  10 

Presbyterian 

Congregational . . . 

Episcopal 

Christian 

—  53 

8.   LARGER  VILLAGES  COMPARED  WITH  SMALLER  VILLAGES 
AND  THE   OPEN  COUNTRY 

There  are  three  villages  in  Tompkins  County  with 
more  than  600  inhabitants.  These  are  Groton,  with 
a  population  of  1,260,  Trumansburg  in  the  town  of 
Ulysses,  with  a  population  of  1,118,  and  Dryden,  with 
a  population  of  709.  No  other  village  of  the  county 
has  a  population  exceeding  four  hundred. 


194  THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 

By  comparison  between  the  activities  of  the  churches 
of  these  three  larger  villages  and  those  of  the  rest  of 
the  county  it  appears : 

That  in  the  smaller  communities  a  very  much  smaller 
proportion  of  the  inhabitants  are  church  members  than 
in  the  larger  villages: 

That  while  there  is  a  considerable  decline  in  the 
number  of  attendants  at  church  services  in  the  larger 
villages  in  proportion  to  population,  the  decline  is 
much  greater  in  the  smaller  communities; 

That  the  contributions  for  church  expenses  are  very 
much  less  per  capita  outside  the  larger  villages; 

That  while  in  the  larger  villages  the  amount  given 
per  capita  has  substantially  increased  in  twenty  years, 
in  the  rural  districts  it  has  decreased; 

That  while  56  per  cent  of  the  churches  in  the  larger 
villages  have  gained  in  at  least  two  out  of  three  lines  of 
activity,  namely,  maintaining  or  increasing  member- 
ship, attracting  attendants  to  their  services,  and  con- 
tributing money,  83  per  cent  of  the  other  churches 
have  declined  in  at  least  two  of  the  three; 

That  the  churches  in  the  larger  villages,  while  they 
are  not  holding  the  attendance  of  the  rural  population, 
are  losing  it  much  less  rapidly  than  are  the  churches  in 
the  rural  communities. 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY— VILLAGE   AND   COUNTRY     195 

TABLE  43 

Membership  in  the  Churches  of  the  Large  Villages  and 
IN  the  Rural  Districts,  1890  and  1910 


1890 


1910 


Gain  or 

Loss   ■ 

per  Cent 


Dryden  Meth.  Episcopal 

Dryden  Presbyterian 

Dryden  Episcopal 

Groton  Meth.  Episcopal 

Groton  Baptist 

Groton  Congregational 

Groton  Episcopal 

Trumansburg  Meth.  Episcopal. 

"  Baptist 

"  Presbyterian 

"  Episcopal 


Total  Membership  Large- Village  churches.  .  . 
"  "  in  County 


"  "  churches  of  Rural  Districts 

Rural  members  of  large  village  churches  1890 

(estimated  at  20.1%  of  total) 

Rural  members  of  large  village  churches  19 10 

(estimated  at  16.6%  of  total) 


Estimated  Total  members  who  live  in  large 
villages 

Estimated  Total  members  who  Hve  in  Rural 
Districts 


147 

142 
155 
252 


200 

301 

200 

86 


1,572 
4»039 


2,467 
316 


1,256 
2,783 


103 
219 

18 
113 
162 
191 

30 
225 
306 
261 

80 


1,708 
4,102 


2,394 


2  84 


1,424 
2,678 


+  16 
+49 

— 20 

+  5 
—24 

+  13 
+  2 
+31 
—  7 


+  9 
+   2 


—  3 


196  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

Membership.  From  Table  43  it  appears  that  in 
the  churches  of  the  three  larger  \dllages  the  member- 
ship in  1,890  was  1,572  and  1,708  in  1910,  or  a  gain  of 
9  per  cent  in  twenty  years.  The  churches  in  the  rest 
of  the  county,  including  those  of  the  smaller  villages 
and  of  the  open  country,  had  2,467  members  in  1890 
and  only  2,394  in  19 10,  a  loss  of  3  per  cent  in  the  mem- 
bership of  the  rural  churches. 

In  Table  44  it  appears  that  the  Protestant  popula- 
tion of  the  three  larger  villages  was  3,040  in  1890  and 
2,947  in  1910,  a  loss  of  3  per  cent,  while  the  Protestant 
population  of  the  rest  of  the  county  was  16,805  in  1890 
and  13,743  in  1910,  a  loss  of  18  per  cent. 

But  some  members  of  churches  in  the  larger  villages 
live  in  the  outlying  or  rural  districts.  Table  46  shows 
that  in  1890,  215  or  20.1  per  cent  of  the  attendants 
of  the  churches  of  the  larger  villages  lived  in  the  rural 
districts,  and  156  or  16.6  per  cent  in  1910.  It  was 
therefore  necessary,  in  estimating  the  number  of  mem- 
bers from  the  larger  villages,  to  subtract  20.1  per  cent 
of  the  recorded  members  for  1890  and  16.6  per  cent 
for  1910. 

With  this  allowance  made.  Tables  43,  44,  and  45 
show  that  there  were  1,256  church  members  in  the 
large  villages  in  1890,  or  41  per  cent  of  the  Protestant 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— VILLAGE  AND  COUNTRY     197 

TABLE  44 

Protestant  Inhabitants  in  Large  Villages  and  in  the 
Rural  Districts,  1890  and  1910 


1890 

1910 

Gain  or  Loss 
per  Cent 

Dryden 

653 

1,273 

1,114 

3,040 

19,845 

16,805 

706 

1,241 

1,000 

2,947 

16,690 

13,743 

Groton 

TruniEnsbur^ 

Total  in  large  villages.  . . . 

Total  in  County 

Total  in  rural  districts.  . .  . 

—  3 
—16 
—18 

TABLE  45 

Enrolled  Membership  in  Larger  Villages  and  Rural 
Districts,  1890  and  1910 


1890 

Large  Villages 

Rural  Districts 

Per 
Cent 

1910 

Per 
Cent 

1890 

Per 
Cent 

1910 

Per 
Cent 

Prot.  Population 

Members    resident    in 

larger  villages 

Members    resident    in 

rural  districts.  . . 

3,040 
1,256 

2,947 
1,424 

.... 

16,805 

13,743 

2,783 

16.56 

2,678 

2,276 
402 

Members  constitute  fol- 
lowing   per    cent    of 
Prot.  population.  .  . . 

Normal  membership  in 
1910,  i.  e.  same  per 
cent  of  population  as 
in  1800 

.... 

41-3 

1,217 
207 

48.3 

19.48 

17- 

17.7 

198  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

population,  and  1,424,  or  48  per  cent  of  the  Protestant 
population,  in  19 10;  whereas  in  the  rural  districts  there 
were  2,783  members  in  1890,  or  16.56  per  cent  of  the 
rural  Protestant  population,  and  2,678  members,  or 
19.5  per  cent  in  1910. 

Table  45  shows  that  in  the  larger  villages  church 
membership  gained  17  per  cent  above  that  for  1890  in 
proportion  to  population,  while  the  membership  in  the 
smaller  communities  gained  18  per  cent  in  twenty  years. 

It  appears  then  that  in  the  matter  of  enrolled  mem- 
bership the  smaller  communities  have  made  a  slightly 
greater  relative  gain  than  the  larger  villages,  while  in 
the  larger  villages  a  very  much  larger  part  of  the  popula- 
tion belongs  to  the  Church  than  in  the  rural  districts. 

Attendance.  From  Table  46  it  appears  that  the 
number  of  attendants  of  the  churches  of  the  three 
larger  villages  w^as  1,068  in  1890,  while  in  19 10  it  was 
939,  a  loss  of  12  per  cent.  In  the  churches  of  the  more 
rural  part  of  the  county  the  number  of  attendants  was 
3,236  in  1890  and  only  1,939  in  iQiOj  a  decline  of  40  per 
cent. 

But  it  has  been  shown  that  in  1890  there  were  20.1% 
or  215  rural  people  attending  the  churches  of  the  large 
villages,  while  in  19 10  there  were  16.6  or  156.  There- 
fore in  1890  there  were  853  church  attendants  in  the 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY— VILLAGE  AND   COUNTRY     199 

TABLE  46 

Church  Attendants  in  the  Larger  Villages  and  in  the 
Rural  Districts,  1890  and  1910 


Attendance  in 
Large  Villages 

Gain  or 
Loss 

1890 

1910 

per  Cent 

Dryden  Meth.  Episcopal 

95 
138 

lOI 

III 
193 

89 
139 
149 

53 

74 

153 

14 

79 

78 

143 

24 

90 

127 

124 

33 

"       Episcopal 

Groton  Meth.  Episcopal 

"      Baptist 

"      Congregational    .            .    . 

"      Episcopal 

Trumansburg  Meth.  Episcopal 

"           Baptist.  .  . . 

"           Presbyterian 

"           Episcopal 

Total  attendance  in  large  villages . . 
"County 

1,068 
4,304 

939 
2,878 

— 12 

"  churches        of 
Rural  Districts. 

3,236 

215 

853 
3,451 

1,939 

156 

783 
2,095 

—40 
— 27 

Rural    attendants   in   large-village 

Village  attendants  in  large-village 
churches 

—  8 

Total  rural  attendants  in  all  churches 

—39 

200  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

large  villages  and  783  in  19 10,  a  loss  of  8  per  cent; 
while  in  the  rural  districts  there  were  3,451  attendants 
in  1890  and  only  2,095  in  1910,  a  loss  of  39  per  cent. 

It  will  be  seen  in  Tables  46  and  47  that  in  1890, 
28  per  cent  of  the  Protestant  population  of  the  larger 
villages  were  church  attendants,  and  26.6  per  cent  in 
1910;  whereas  in  the  rural  districts  20.5  per  cent  of 
the  Protestant  population  were  attendants  in  1890 
but  only  15.2  per  cent  in  19 10.  Whereas  we  have 
hitherto  seen  that  in  all  the  churches  together  there 
was  a  decline  in  proportion  to  the  Protestant  population 
of  19  per  cent  in  Table  47  it  appears  that  for  the  larger 
villages  it  was  less  than  6  per  cent  while  in  the  smaller 
villages  and  open  country  it  was  nearly  26  per  cent. 

In  the  period  covered  by  the  investigation,  there- 
fore, there  was  a  very  much  greater  loss  in  the  rural  dis- 
tricts both  absolutely  and  in  relation  to  the  population. 

Income  and  Expenditures.  From  Table  48  it  ap- 
pears that  the  total  expenditures  of  the  churches  in 
the  larger  villages  were  12,275  dollars  in  the  first  period, 
and  the  equivalent  in  purchasing  power  of  13,267  of 
the  same  dollars  in  the  second,  a  gain  of  8.1  per  cent. 
In  the  rural  districts  the  expenditures  in  the  first  period 
were  20,551  and  16,535  '^  the  second,  a  loss  of  19.5 
per  cent. 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— VILLAGE  AND  COUNTRY     201 

TABLE  47 

Protestant    Population   and    Number   of   Attendants    in 
Large  Villages  and  Rural  Districts,  1890  and  1910 


Large  Villages 

Rural  Districts 

1890 

Per 
Cent 
1890 

1910 

Per 

Cent 
1910 

1890 

Per 
Cent 
1890 

1910 

Per 
Cent 
1910 

3,040 
1,068 

2,947 
939 

-12. 1 

16,805 

.... 

13,743 

Attendants  of  churches 

of  large  villages 

Rural  attendants  rural 

rVnirrVip<; 

3,236 

1,939 

-40. 

Village    attendants    in 

large  villages 

Rural     attendants     in 

853 

783 

215 
3,451 

20.5 

156 
2,095 

2,817 
722 

Total  rural  attendants 

-39-3 

Attendants    constitute 
following    per    cent 
Prot.  population.  .  . . 

Normal  number  of  at- 
tendants in  1910  (i.e. 
same  per  cent  of  pop- 
ulation as  in  1890) . 

Loss  below  normal 

28.1 

828 
45 

26.56 

15.24 

5-43 

25.63 

1 

202  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

But  as  20. 1  per  cent  of  the  attendants  of  the  larger 
village  churches  were  from  the  rural  districts  in  1890, 
and  16.6  per  cent  in  1910,  it  was  thought  best  to  deduct 
from  the  expenditures  of  the  churches  20.1  per  cent 
in  1890  and  16.6  per  cent  in  19 10,  and  treat  the  amounts 
deducted  as  contributions  from  people  of  the  rural 
districts.  This  method  is  not  strictly  accurate,  but  it 
is  the  best  available  and  its  error  is  on  the  conservative 
side. 

It  will  be  seen  in  Table  48  that  under  this  method  of 
estimating,  the  contributions  of  residents  of  the  larger 
villages  were  9,808  dollars  per  year  in  the  period  1886- 
1890  and  reckoning  in  purchasing  power  11,065  P^^ 
year  in  the  period  1906-10,  a  gain  of  13  per  cent;  while 
the  residents  of  rural  districts  contributed  23,018  in 
the  first  period  and  18,737  the  second,  a  loss  in  con- 
tributions of  19  per  cent. 

In  Table  49  it  appears  that  the  people  of  the  larger 
villages  contributed  3.23  dollars  per  capita  in  the  first 
period  and  again  reckoning  in  purchasing  power  3.75 
in  the  second,  an  increase  of  16.  i  per  cent,  while 
the  residents  of  the  rural  districts  contributed  only 
1.369  in  the  first  period  and  2.363  in  the  second, 
making  a  decrease  of  .4  per  cent. 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— VILLAGE  AND  COUNTRY     203 

TABLE  48 

Expenditures  in  Large  Villages  and  in  the  Rural  Dis- 
tricts, 1886-1890  and  1906-1910,  Expressed  in  Purchas- 
ing Power 


1886-90 


1906-10 


Gain  or 

Loss 
per  Cent 


Dryden  Meth.  Episcopal. 

"  Presbyterian  .  .  . 

"  Episcopal 

Groton  Meth.  Episcopal . 

"  Baptist 

"  Congregational  .. 

"  Episcopal 

Trumansburg  Meth.  Episcopal . 

"  Baptist 

"  Presbyterian 

"  Episcopal 


853 
2,079 


971 
1,724 


1,685 
1,297 
2,186 
1,480 


Total  exp.  churches  of  large  villages 

Total  exp.  churches  in  County 

"       "  "       in  rural  districts 

Contributions  of  rural  att.  of  large-village 
churches  (estimated  at  20.1  per  cent  of 
total  exps.  village  churches 

Contributions  of  rural  att.  of  large  village 
churches  (estimated  at  16.6%  of  total 
exps.  village  churches 

Contributions  of  residents  of  large  villages. 

Contributions  to  all  churches  by  residents 
of  rural  districts 


12,275 
32,826 
20,551 


2,467 


9,808 
23,018 


972 
1,876 

343 
1,057 
1,108 

114 
2,075 
1,469 
3,401 

852 


13,267 
29,802 
i6,53S 


2,202 
11,065 

18,737 


+  8. 
—  9-2 
— 20. 


+  13 
—19 


204  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  not  only  do  the  residents 
of  the  larger  villages  contribute  very  much  more  money 
per  capita,  but  that  they  have  made  a  substantial  in- 
crease in  their  contributions;  while  the  rural  people 
have  declined  in  their  total  contributions  and  in  their 
contributions  per  capita.* 

Individual  Churches.  In  the  larger  villages  there 
are  now  ii  churches,  but  2  of  these  have  been  es- 
tablished since  1890.  Comparison  of  the  condition  in 
1890  with  the  condition  in  19 10  can  therefore  be  made 
in  the  case  of  only  9  of  them.  In  the  three  lines  of 
activity  here  treated  (i.  e.  maintaining  or  increasing 
membership,  attracting  attendants,  and  contributing 
money),  i  church  has  gained  in  all  three  Hues,  4  have 
gained  in  two,  2  have  gained  in  only  one,  while  2  have 
lost  in  every  one  of  the  three  lines  of  activity.  This 
may  be  seen  in  Table  50. 

Outside  the  larger  villages,  there  are  24  churches 
for  which  data  are  available  in  all  three  lines  of  ac- 
tivity for  the  two  periods.  Of  these  24  only  i  church 
has   gained   in   all    three   Hnes   of    activity,   only   3 

*  Owing  to  the  fact  that  statistics  for  total  expenditures  in  a 
few  churches  are  not  available,  actual  per  capita  expenditures 
would  be  slightly  greater  than  here  indicated.  Of  the  few 
churches  omitted  the  expenditures  for  1 906-1910  were  about 
equally  divided  between  the  large  village  churches  and  the  others. 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY-VILLAGE  AND  COUNTRY     205 


TABLE  49 

Expenditures  per  Capita  in  the  Larger  Villages  and  in 
THE  Rural  Districts,  1886-1890  and  1906-1910,  Ex- 
pressed IN  Purchasing  Power 


Large  Villages  1886-90 

"      1906-10  

Rural  Districts  1886-90  .... 
"        1906-10  

Contributed  by  village  people  to 
churches  of  large  villages 
1886-90  

Contributed  by  village  people  to 
churches  of  large  villages 
1906-10  

Contributed  to  all  churches  by 
residents  of  rural  districts 
1886-90  

Contributed  to  all  churches  by 
residents  of  rural  districts 
1906-10  


2o6  THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 

have  gained  in  two  lines  of  activity,  9  have  gained 
in  one  line  of  activity,  while  11  have  declined  in  all 
three  lines.  In  other  words,  of  24  churches  outside 
the  larger  villages  only  4  have  gained  in  two  lines 
of  activity,  while  20  have  lost  in  at  least  two 
lines. 

Fifty-five  and  six-tenths  per  cent  of  the  churches  of 
the  large  villages  have  gained  in  two  of  the  three  lines, 
whereas  only  16.7  per  cent  of  the  churches  outside  the 
larger  villages  have  gained  in  more  than  one  line  of 
activity. 

Rural  attendants  of  rural  churches  and  rural  attend- 
ants of  churches  of  the  larger  villages.  From  Table  52 
it  appears  there  were  in  1890,  3,236  attendants 
of  churches  of  the  smaller  communities  while  in  19 10 
there  were  only  1,939,  a  decline  of  40  per  cent;  whereas 
in  1890,  215  residents  of  the  rural  districts  were  attend- 
ing the  churches  of  the  large  villages  while  in  19 10  there 
were  156,  a  decline  of  27  per  cent. 

Thus  it  is  seen  that  while  the  churches  of  the  larger 
villages  are  not  holding  their  attendance  of  people 
of  the  rural  districts,  still  they  are  more  successful 
in  this  respect  than  are  the  churches  of  the  rural 
districts. 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— VILLAGE  AND   COUNTRY     207 

TABLE   50 

Membership,  Attendance,  and  Expenditures  in  the 
Churches  of  the  Larger  Villages,  1890  and  19 10,  Ex- 
pressed in  Purchasing  Power 


Gain  or  Loss  per  Cent 

Membership 

Attendance 

Expenditures 

Trumansburg  Meth.  Episcopal. . 
"           Baptist 

+  13 
+  2 
+31 
+  16 
+49 
+  5 
— 20 
—24 
—  7 

+  I 
—  9 
—17 
— 22 
+  ir 
—30 
— 22 
—26 
-38 

+  23 
+  13 
+56 
+  14 
— 10 
-36 
+  9 
— 10 
—42 

"           Presbyterian 

Dryden            Meth.  Episcopal. . 
"                 Presbyterian  .... 
Groton             Baptist . .  . 

"                 Meth.  Episcopal. . 

"                 Congregational  .  . 

Trumansburg  Episcopal 

TABLE   51 

Membership,  Attendance  and  Expenditures  in  the  Churches 
OF  THE  Rural  Districts,  1890  and  1910,  Expressed  in 
Purchasing  Power 


Per  Cent  Gain  or  Loss 

Membership 

Attendance 

Expenditures 

Jacksonville  Meth.  Episcopal . . . 

Varna  and  Ellis      " 

Enfield 

Newfield  Christian 

+  101 
+  31 
+  30 
+  10 
+  30 
—    8 

+  31 

+38 
-36 
—26 
—52 
—43 
—19 
—47 

+  73 

+33 

+  25 

+  12 

W.  Danby  Meth.  Episcopal 

Freeville              "                 

Enfield  Baptist 

—SO 
+  24 
— 24 

2o8 


THE   COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   SI    {Continued) 


Per  Cent  Gain  or  Loss 


Membership 


Attendance 


Expenditures 


McLean  Meth.  Episcopal . . . 

"      Baptist 

Ludlowville  Meth.  Episcopal 
Lansing  ville  " 

Asbury  " 

Ludlowville  Presbyterian  . . 
Slaterville  Meth.  Episcopal 
Speedsville  " 

Brookton  Baptist 

Speedsville  Episcopal 

Danby  &  So.  Danby  Meth.  Epis 
W.  Dryden  " 

Peruville  " 

McLean  Episcopal 

No.  Lansing  Meth.  Episcopal. . . 

East  Lansing  Baptist 

Newfield  Meth.  Episcopal 

Danby  Cong'l 

W.  Danby  Baptist 

Etna  Baptist 

Enfield  Christian 

W.  Groton  Congregational 

No.  Lansing  Baptist 

Brookton  Congregational 


+     23 

+  38 

—  10 

—  10 

—  4 
+  52 

—  21 

—  51 

—  34 

—  64 

—  54 


28 


+  283 
+  47 

—  26 

—  55 


— 10 

—45 
—24 
—24 
—29 
—57 
—53 
—61 
-58 
—81 
-38 
—19 
—70 
—86 
—29 
—26 
—54 
—35 
—48 
—43 
—69 
—23 

—35 


—81 
— II 
+  62 
+  89 
+  63 
—18 
—59 
-38 
—70 
-56 
—49 
—30 

—  9 
—27 

—44 

—  3 
—57 


—73 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— VILLAGE  AND  COUNTRY     209 


TABLE  52 

Rural  Attendants  of  Rural  Churches  and  Number  of 
Rural  Attendants  of  Large-Village  Churches,  1890 
AND  1910 


Attendants  in  Rural 
Churches 

Attendants  Big  Village 
Churches  from  Rural  Districts 

1890 

1910 

Gain  or 

Loss 
per  Cent 

1890 

1910 

Gain  or 

Loss 
per  Cent 

County 

3,236 

1,939 

—40 

215. 

156 

—27 

Caroline. .  .  . 

Danby 

Dryden 

Enfield 

Groton 

Lansing  .... 
Newfield. . . . 
Ulysses 

486 
524 
429 
288 
408 
432 
517 
152 

223 

315 
247 

173 
258 
305 
285 
133 

49 
79 

87 

48 
36 

72 

Relative  Importance  of  Rural  Churches  and  Churches 
of  the  Larger  Villages.  It  will  be  seen  from  previous 
tables  and  from  Diagram  VI  that  the  rural  churches, 
as  compared  with  the  churches  of  the  larger  villages, 
are  greater  in  number,  that  taken  together  they  have 
more  members,  that  they  have  a  greater  total  number 
of  attendants,  that  as  a  whole  they  contribute  a  larger 
amount  of  money,  and  that  they  have  a  larger  number 
of  people  dependent  upon  their  ministry. 

It  is   evident    that   the   decline  manifest  in  these 


2IO 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


country   churches   is   a   matter   of   the   gravest   con- 
cern. 


DIAGRAM  VI 

Comparison  of  Larger  Villages  with  the  Rural  Districts 
I.  Membership 


]663 
11256    Illilllllllllil424 
1890  1910 

Larger  Villages 
aNon-Members 
cm  Vi I lacfe  Members  of  Churches 
Oflarcfcl^/Hages 


14543 

316 
2467 

lilllli 

ill 

11792 


284 
2394 


1890  1910 

Rural  Districts 
C3Non- Members 

rzz2t  Members  of  Large  Village  Churches 
oniB  •  8ural  Churches 


j2.  Attendance 


Iniiiiliiiii 


12301 
1853 
1830  1910 

Larger  Villages 
CD  Non  -Attendants 
mSi  Attendants 


2304 
783' 


i 
13875 

215 
3236 

llllllllllll 

12375 


156 
1939 


1890  1910 

Rural  Districts 
C3  Hon  -Attendants 

xzzzAtfending  ChunJies  ofLanfs  Wllaqes 
nm      •        /iural  Churched 


TOMPKINS   COUNTY— OVER-CHURCHING      211 
DIAGRAM  VI   {Continued) 
3.  Expenditures 


— — *-, 

12275 

20551 

1886-90 


1906-10 


13267 


16535 


'^mReal Expenditures  of  Large  Vi't/ageCfiurthes 
EDD   •  •  •  Euro  I  Churches 


9.   OVER-CHURCHING 

The  figures  for  attendance,  membership,  and  ex- 
penditures gathered  in  Tompkins  County  indicate 
how  very  serious  the  evil  of  over-churching  has  be- 
come. Only  four  churches  in  the  smaller  communities 
in  a  twenty  year  period  have  increased  their  activities 
in  two  or  more  of  the  three  lines  of  activity  considered 
above.  Three  of  these  are  in  one-church  communities. 
The  fourth  is  a  weak  church.  Its  expenditures  were 
small  in  both  periods,  and  its  apparent  gain  in  mem- 
bership is  due  to  padded  rolls. 

Attendance  figures  afford  the  best  indication  of  the 
effect  of  over-churching.  In  small  communities  with 
only  one  church  there  was  a  loss  of  29  per  cent  in  at- 


212 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


teiidance  in  twenty  years.  In  small  communities 
where  there  were  two  churches  there  was  a  loss  of  50 
per  cent;  while  in  the  small  communities  of  more  than 
two  churches  there  was  a  loss  of  nearly  55  per  cent. 
(See  Table  56.) 


TABLE  S3 

Loss  IN  Number  op  Attendants  in  One-Church-Communities 
IN  Small  Two-Church  Communities  and  in  Small  Commu- 
nities WITH  More  than  Two  Churches 


One-Church 
Com- 
munities 

1890    1910 

Loss 

Per 

Cent 

Two- 
Church 
Com- 
munities 

1890  1910 

Loss 
Per 
Cent 

Small 
Commu- 
nities with 
more  than 

Two 
Churches 
1890  1910 

Loss 
Per 
Cent 

Totals              

1,675 

53 
40 

1,182 

24 
9 

29 

1,072 

536 

50 

489 

221 

55 

Churches  of  Caroline 
Caroline  Center  Meth. . . 
Central  Chapel        "     .  . 

140 

46 

Caroline                   "     .  . 
Sneedsville                 " 

30 

36 
32 

II 
6 

"        Episcopal 

"Rri^rklrfnn    TlTnti«;f 

90 
68 

38 
44 
14 

"        Cong'l 

Union  Valley  Christian . . 
Churches  of  Danby 

41 

167. 
75 

14 

109 
SO 

W.  Danby        Meth 

Jersey  Hill            "     

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— OVER-CHURCHING 


213 


T^ 

^BLE 

53 

(Continued) 

One-Church 
Com- 
munities 

1890    1910 

Loss 

per 

Cent 

Two- 
Church 
Com- 
munities 

1890  1910 

Loss 
per 
Cent 

Small 
Commu- 
nities with 
more  than 

Two 
Churches 
1890  19 10 

Loss 
Per 
Cent 

S.  Danby          Meth 

85 
28 
48 

63 

Smily  Hill            "     

Morris  Chapel     "     .... 

43 

West  Danby        "     

6S 
64 

37 
33 

"        "      Baptist. .  . . 

Churches  of  Dryden 
Freeville  Methodist  .... 

96 
54 
70 
59 
44 
44 

36 
23 

86 
31 
37 
39 
36 
18 

32 
15 

Etna  Baptist 

Varna  Methodist 

West  Dryden  Methodist . 

Ellis 

Snyder  Hill  Baptist 

Churches  of  Enfield 
Kennedy's  Cor.  Meth.  . . 

Enfield  Falls           "      . . 

"        Center     "      . . 

66 
68 
71 

46 
36 
22 

"      Baptist... 

"          "      Christian  . 

Churches  of  Groton 
Groton  City  (Meth.  1890) 

35 
30 

lOI 

47 

"          "    (Cong'l  1910) 

39 

9 

78 

38 

Peruville  Methodist 

West  Groton  Cong'l 

PI.  Valley  Wes.  Meth.  . . 

McLean  Methodist 

49 
46 
57 
64 

5 
25 

8 
62 

"      Baptist 

"      Episcopal 

"      Universal 

Churches  of  Lansing 
Lansingville  Methodist. . 

84 
48 

72 
29 

North  Lansing     "      

214 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 
TABLE   S3   {Continued) 


One-Church 
Com- 
munities 

1890    1910 

Loss 

Per 

Cent 

Two- 
Church 
Com- 
munities 

1890  1910 

Loss 
Per 
Cent 

Small 

Commu- 

tiities  with 

more  than 

Two 
Churches 
1890  igio 

Loss 
Per 
Cent 

Asbury  Methodist 

74 
84 

57 
62 

E.  Lansing  Baptist 

Ludlow ville  Methodist. . . 

77 
60 

35 
16 
10 

"              Presb. 

Portland  Presb 

Myers  Methodist 

25 
24 

15 

Drake  Hill  S.  H 

Churches  of  Newfield 
Poney  Hollow  Baptist. 

18 
9 
2 

Jacksons  Hollow  S.  H. . . 

North  Vanettan 

Newfield  Methodist     . 

187 
122 

106 

"       Presbyterian . . 

"       Baptist 

85 
32 
40 

Trumbull's  Corners  Meth. 

116 

83 

'  Christian 

Churches  of  Ulysses 
Jacksonville  Methodist .  . 

80 
37 
29 

85 

25 

22 

Waterburg             " 

Friends 

10.   THE  CHURCH  ON   GOOD  LAND  AND  ON  POOR  LAND 

The  soil  and  the  agricultural  surveys  of  Tompkins 
County  have  pointed  out  the  marked  contrast  between 
the  good  soil  of  the  northern  part  of  the  county  and 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— GOOD  AND  POOR  LAND     215 

the  poor  soil  of  the  southern  part.  The  northern 
towns  are  also  more  accessible  to  markets  and  railroad 
stations.  Ulysses,  Lansing,  and  Groton  constitute 
the  northern  tier  of  townships,  while  Newfield,  Danby, 
and  Caroline  constitute  the  southern  tier. 

In  Table  54  it  will  be  observed  that  after  making 
proper  allowances  for  decline  in  Protestant  population 
the  churches  in  the  southern  or  poor  land  tier  compare 
very  unfavorably  with  those  of  the  northern  or  good 
land  tier.  In  the  northern  tier  the  membership  from 
the  rural  population  has  increased  19  per  cent  in  pro- 
portion to  Protestant  population,  while  in  the  southern 
tier  it  has  increased  only  7  per  cent.  In  the  northern 
tier  the  attendance  has  declined  23  per  cent,  while 
in  the  southern  it  has  decreased  26  per  cent.  Contri- 
butions per  capita  have  increased  22  per  cent  in  the 
northern  tier,  but  have  delined  26  per  cent  in  the  south- 
ern. In  all  three  lines  of  activity  the  churches  in  the 
poor  land  regions  compare  unfavorably  with  those 
of  the  churches  in  the  good  land  regions.  The  moral 
conditions  and  general  character  of  the  population 
are  on  the  whole  better  in  the  northern  than  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county.  The  population  on  the 
poor  soil  declines  faster  in  numbers,  and  in  other  re- 
spects also.    The  best  people  in  the  southern  regions 


2l6 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


are  less  hopeful  as  to  the  agricultural  outlook  and  the 
rural  prospects  in  general  than  their  neighbors  to 
the  north. 


TABLE  54 

Decline  of  Church  Activities  on  Poor  Soil  and  on  Good 
Soil 


Gain  per  Cent 

Loss  per  Cent 

Percentage  of 

in  Membership 

in  Attendance 

Gain  or  Loss 

Relative  to  Prot- 

Relative to  Prot- 

in Expenditures 

estant  Popula- 

estant Popula- 

per Capita  in 

tion  in  20  Years 

tion  in  20  Years 

20  Years 

Southern  or  Poor  Soil  Tier.  .  . 

+  7 

—26 

-26 

Northern  or  Good  Soil  Tier.  . 

+19 

—23 

+22 

Membership 
1890    1910 

1 

V. 

8 

s 

Member- 
ship  of 
Churches 
in  Large 
Villages 

1890  1910 

Member- 
ship in 
Churches 
of  Larger 
Villages 
after  De- 
ducting 
Rural 
Mernship 
1890  1910 

1 

3 
1 

1 

1,347 
504 
525 
318 

2,056 
773 
414 
869 

1.04s— 

22.4 

Danby 

Newfield 

Northern  or  Good  Land  Tier  . . . 

2,2034- 
779-. 
387.  . 

7-15 

549 

496 

442 

441 

—0.23 

Ulysses 

1,037.  • 

787 

872 

628 

702 

+11. 8 

TOMPKINS  COUNTY— GOOD  AND  POOR  LAND     217 
TABLE   54   {Continued) 


Southern  or  Poor  Land  Tier 
Northern  or  Good  Land  Tier 

Groton 

Lansing 

Ulysses 


Church  Members  Resident  in 
Rural  Communities 


1,347 
986 
331 
414 
241 


1, 04s 

1,060 

338 

387 

335 


Per  Cent 
Gain  or  Loss 


— 22.4 
+  7-5 


Per  Cent 
of  Rural 

Actual 
Member- 

Protestant Popu- 

Members 

Normal 

ship  = 

lation  of  Rural 

in  Prot- 

Member- 

Following 

Communities 

estant 
Popula- 
tion 

ship  in 

per  Cent 

above 
Normal 

1890        1910 

1890 

1910 

1910 

Southern  or  Poor  Land  Tier 

Total 

5,920 
2,050 
1,656 

2,214 

4,282 
I  626 

22.75 

7 

Danby 

1,207 

1,449 

Newfield 

.... 

Northern  or  Good  Land  Tier 

Total.  .  . 

6,167 
2,125 
2,425 
1,617 

5,597 
1,879 
2,308 
1,410 

15.98 

894 

Groton 

Lansing 

.... 



2l8 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


TABLE   54   {Continued) 


Attendance 
from  Rural 
Commu- 
nities 

1890  1910 

Per 
Cent 
Loss 

Protestant 
Population 
of  Rural 
Commu- 
nities 

1890    1910 

11 

11 

s 

1 

:§    0 

1  " 
1 

P 

'^  2 

Southern  or  Poor  Land  Tier.  .  . 
Total 

1.527 
486 
524 
517 

1,158 
487 
432 
239 

823 
223 
315 
285 

80s 
294 
305 
206 

-46.1 
—30.5 

5.920 
2,050 
1,656 
2,214 

6,167 
2,125 
2,425 
1,617 

4,282 
1,626 
1,207 
1,449 

5,597 
1,879 
2,308 
1,410 

25.8 

1. 105 

25-5 

Danby 

Newfield 

Northern  or  Good  Land  Tier 

Total.' 

18.78 

1,051 

23-4 

Ulysses 

Total  Ex- 
penditures * 

1890  1910 

Total  Ex- 
penditures 
of  Big 
Village 
Churches 

1890  1910 

Total  Ex- 
penditures 
Big 
Village 
Churches 
Deducting 
Contribu- 
tions of 
Rural  At- 
tendants 
1890  1910 

Total  Ex- 
penditures 
from  Rural 
Commu- 
nities 

1890  1910 

Southern  or  Poor  Soil  Tier.  .  . 

11,114 

4,388 
2,539 
4,187 
7,875 
1,736 
3,857 
2,282 

5.968 
2  181 

Caroline 

Danby 

1,298 

2,489 
8,745 
I  234 

Newfield 

Northern  or  Good  Soil  Tier 

15,455 
4,012 
3,857 
7,586 

17,072 
3,286 
4,334 
9.452 

Groton 

2,695 

2,279 

2,276 

2,052 

4.334 
3,177 

Ulysses 

6,648 

7,797 

5,304 

6,275 

*  In  purchasing  power. 


TOMPKINS  COUNTY— GOOD  AND  POOR  LAND     219 
TABLE   54   {Continued) 


Total  Ex- 

Per 

Total  Ex- 

Per 

Per 

penditures 

Cent 

penditures 

Cent 

Cent 

from  Rural 

Gain 

Including 

Gain 

Per  Capita 

Gain 

Communiiies 

or 

Large 

or 

Expenditure 

or 

Loss 

Villages 

Loss 

Loss 

1890    1910 

1890    1910 

1890  1910 

Southern  or 

Poor  Soil  Tier 

5,968 

—46.3 

1.877 

1.393 

(— JS.8) 

Northern  or 

Good  Soil  Tier 

7,875 

8,745 

+11 

15,455 

17,072 

+10.5 

1.277 

1.562 

(+22.3) 

APPENDIX 

In  the  following  table  the  figures  are  given  showing 
for  a  single  township  the  changes  in  prices  of  various 
articles  in  different  years.  The  securing  of  such  figures 
as  these  is  the  first  step  of  the  process  by  which  the 
change  in  the  cost  of  living  was  determined.  (See 
Part  I,  sec.  6.) 


222 


THE  COUNTRY  CHURCH 


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There  is  probably  no  more  popular  writer  on  present-day  social  prob- 
lems than  the  professor  in  the  Wharton  School  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  Dr.  Nearing  has  a  way  of  expressing  his  statements  that 
makes  an  irresistible  appeal  to  the  general  reader,  and  the  interest  once 
gained  is  held  by  the  importance  and  absolute  authoritativeness  of  the 
facts  which  he  presents.  In  his  new  book  he  takes  up  the  more  deplorable 
elements  in  the  modern  social  and  industrial  world,  analyzing  them  in  the 
light  of  a  practical  Christianity.  The  church-going  public,  the  non- 
church  goers  and  those  who  are  openly  opposed  to  the  methods  of  the 
church  of  to-day  should  all  find  this  book  equally  interesting,  and  no 
matter  what  the  opinion  of  the  reader  may  be  he  will  be  forced  to  admit 
the  truth  of  the  author's  argument.  Dr.  Hearing's  final  presentation  of 
a  religion  that  is  really  social,  a  religion  the  function  of  which  is  "to 
abolish  ignorance  and  graft  and  to  provide  for  normal  manhood  and 
adjusted  life  toward  which  society  may  strive"  is  particularly  suggestive. 


THE   MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

Publishers       64-66  Fifth  Avenue         New  York 


The  Rural  Life  Problem  in  America 

By  The  Right  Honorable  Sir  Horace  Plunkett 

Cloth,  i2mo,  $1.25  net;  postpaid,  $1.35 

To  the  writing  of  The  Rural  Life  Problem  of  the  United  States,  the  au- 
thor, the  Right  Honorable  Sir  Horace  Plunkett,  brings  an  unique  expe- 
rience. He  spent  ten  years  ranching  and  farming  in  this  country,  and 
has  been  throughout  his  life  a  close  student  of  rural  life  here,  especially 
in  connection  with  the  Federal  State  Department  activities  for  agricul- 
tural development.  Twenty  years  of  his  life  he  devoted  to  agricultural 
organization  in  his  native  Ireland.  For  eight  of  these  years  he  was  in 
ParUament  and  was  mainly  instrumental  in  securing  the  creation  in  igoo 
of  the  Irish  Department  of  Agriculture  and  Technical  Instruction. 

Sir  Horace-is  already  well  known  as  a  writer  upon  social  and  economic 
questions.  The  present  book  was  written  at  the  request  of  many  of  his 
American  friends  who  had  read  a  series  of  articles  from  his  pen  which 
appeared  recently  in  The  Outlook  upon  Conservation  and  Rural  Life. 

"The  author  has  made  a  deep  and  careful  study  of  his  subject  and 
students  of  economic  problems  will  read  his  observations  with  much 
interest." — San  Francisco  Call. 

The  American  Rural  School 

By  H.  W.  FoGHT 
Cloth,  illustrated,  i2mo,  $1.25  net;  by  mail  $1.35 

This  book  is  intended  for  rural  school  teachers,  superintendents  and 
school  board  members;  for  teachers'  reading  circles,  normal  school  train- 
ing classes,  and  all  the  public  at  large  who  are  interested  in  the  profound 
movement  to  make  our  American  rural  life  richer  and  its  labor  more 
effective  by  means  of  schools  adapted  to  the  changing  needs  of  rural 
society  and  the  demands  of  modern  life. 

"He  gives  in  one  volume  a  summary  of  the  discussions  by  competent 
leaders  on  the  subjects  of  organization,  administration,  maintenance, 
supervision,  training^  salaries  of  teachers,  sanitation,  aesthetic  problems, 
gardens,  clubs,  manual  training,  libraries,  hygiene  and  consolidation." 

—Dial. 


PUBLISHED  BY 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

Publishers       64-66  Fifth  Avenue        New  York 


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